U.S. Vaccine Policy and Public Health

Dr. Ana Bento is an Assistant Professor at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where she leads a transdisciplinary research team dedicated to understanding and preventing infectious disease threats through data-driven modeling. A theoretical ecologist by training, Dr. Bento studies the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases, integrating mathematical models, experimental data, and field observations to uncover the mechanisms that shape epidemic dynamics.

Dr. Bento earned her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution at Silwood Park, Imperial College London, followed by a fellowship in the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology. She then completed postdoctoral research at the Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, focusing on the ecology and evolution of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. Before joining Cornell, Dr. Bento served as a faculty member at Indiana University’s School of Public Health and as Science Director at the Rockefeller Foundation.

Dr. Bento’s lab investigates infectious disease dynamics across human and animal systems, from bovine tuberculosis and measles to pertussis, COVID-19, and, more recently, vector-borne diseases. Through her work, Dr. Bento seeks to illuminate how data and theory can work in concert to better understand host–pathogen interactions as well as to guide strategies that prevent future epidemics and strengthen vaccine-preventable disease control.

Dr. Noele Nelson is a physician, epidemiologist, and scientist with over 20 years of experience in academia and the private and public sectors. Since October 2025, Dr. Nelson has been a Professor of Practice in the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, teaching the infectious disease epidemiology capstone course for MPH students and engaging in advocacy and research related to vaccine-preventable, communicable, and tick-borne diseases.

For the past 12 years, prior to joining Cornell, Dr. Nelson worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she served in leadership roles as a medical epidemiologist and science advisor. Her work has focused on developing evidence-based national clinical screening, testing, and vaccination guidelines; utilizing analytic approaches to monitor state and local public health prevention program implementation; and leading disaster and outbreak response efforts. Dr. Nelson served in multiple emergency response roles during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Zika virus outbreak, and the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa.

Prior to joining the CDC, Dr. Nelson was on the faculty at Georgetown University Medical Center, where she served as co-principal investigator on a large biosurveillance project and as an attending physician. Dr. Nelson has authored about 100 journal articles and delivered presentations on biosurveillance, epidemiology, vaccine research and policy, and related topics in national and international forums.

Sabine Jamal, M.D., MPH, serves as the Manager of Workforce Development within the Cornell Health Impacts Core in the Department of Public & Ecosystem Health at Cornell University. A UK National Health Service-trained emergency medicine physician, Dr. Jamal is experienced in public health consultancy, advocacy, research, and education. Her areas of expertise include education, curriculum design, and workforce development, with a strong focus on public health emergencies and emergency preparedness. Dr. Jamal’s approach to public health issues is evidence based and solutions focused, emphasizing health equity throughout all her projects.