Infectious disease resources in an ever-changing world

CIDRAP operates many projects intended to improve knowledge in infectious disease preparedness and response, share expertise with decision makers locally and worldwide, and serve as a resource to assist communities in our region and around the world. We are constantly assessing and adjusting these programs to align with the ever-changing world of infectious diseases.

 

Current Programs & Initiatives

Antimicrobial Stewardship Program

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) offers freely available, high-quality information and educational resources on antimicrobial stewardship practice, research, and policy. The staff curate a dynamic, content-rich web site designed to actively engage a diverse, international audience.

CIDRAP News

As a world-leading source of current, comprehensive, and authoritative information, CIDRAP’s news publishing division writes original news stories each business day and maintains in-depth information on the latest emerging infectious diseases. In 2007, CIDRAP News received an Award for Excellence in Health Care Journalism from the Association of Health Care Journalists for its series, "The Pandemic Vaccine Puzzle."

CIDRAP Leadership Forum

The CIDRAP Leadership Forum (CLF) is designed for businesses and organizations that require access to actionable information and expert perspective necessary to shape sound business practices in the face of rapidly emerging issues of public health importance, whether local, national, or international.  CLF connects decision-makers to intelligence they can trust when they need it most.

Chronic Wasting Disease

The Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Response, Research, and Policy Program addresses the transmission of CWD in cervids and its potential for spread to humans and other animal species, along with mapping out contingency planning for this potential event. The program supports current and reliable information on CWD for the public. 

Editorial & Commentaries

The CIDRAP team, lead by Dr. Osterholm, regularly contribute Oped pieces to various influential news outlets: New York Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, among others. Additionally, Dr. Osterholm is featured in regional, national, and international media—including CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NPR, and PBS.

Graduate Course

“Emerging Infectious Disease: Current Issues, Policies, and Controversies” is a course for UMN graduate students in the School of Public Health. It reviews a series of current issues and controversies in the prevention and control of infectious diseases, and serves as a forum for students to debate the merits of these issues. 

Osterholm Update Podcast

Report, discussion, and analysis on the latest infectious disease developments by Dr. Michael Osterholm and host Chris Dall.  Dr. Osterholm draws on nearly 50 years of experience investigating infectious disease outbreaks to provide straight talk on the latest infectious disease and public health threats.

Resilient Drug Supply

The Resilient Drug Supply Project is the first end-to-end comprehensive effort to define and address vulnerabilities to the public health resulting from medical drug shortages. Outcomes of this research will improve the healthcare supply system’s ability to maintain a steady and adequate supply of critical medicines and supplies worldwide. 

Influenza Vaccines R&D Roadmap

The Influenza Vaccines R&D Roadmap (IVR) provides a comprehensive framework to coordinate and accelerate R&D for improved influenza vaccines. Developed in collaboration with a large network of global subject matter experts, CIDRAP continues to monitor and evaluate outcomes aligned with the IVR.

Vaccine Roadmap Development

CIDRAP led an international collaborative effort to develop several R&D roadmaps for priority pathogens identified in the WHO’s Blueprint to Prevent Epidemics (these involve identifying goals and milestones for medical countermeasures (diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines) against Zika virus, Lassa virus, Nipah virus, and the filoviruses Ebola and Marburg. 

Coronavirus Vaccines Roadmap

CIDRAP is leading an international collaborative effort to develop a coronavirus vaccines R&D roadmap (CVR). The CVR focuses on identifying key goals and milestones necessary to develop vaccines that provide broad protection against current and future coronaviruses.

Universal Influenza Vaccine Technology Landscape

A database of influenza vaccines in clinical or late preclinical development. As a research tool, the landscape is intended to summarize available data on influenza vaccine candidates in development to help coordinate efforts across research groups and stimulate informed investments.

Undergraduate Course

CIDRAP continues to reach undergraduate students through classroom education to highlight the possibility of public health as a career choice. Our efforts to recruit future leaders are more important now than ever as the number of public health leaders leave the field.

Medical illustration of drug-resistant, Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, Photo by CDC on Unsplash.

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Past Projects

BioWatch

As an integral partner in this federal program charged with providing an early-warning network of sensors to detect a biological attack, CIDRAP served as an advocate for local and state public health agencies that participated in the system in their areas.

Ebola Vaccine Team B Project

Wellcome and CIDRAP launched the Ebola Vaccine Team B initiative in November 2014 to assist international efforts to develop in record time safe and effective vaccines against Ebola virus disease. The project includeD 25 distinguished leaders in public health, medicine, bioethics, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and humanitarian relief.

CEIRS Pandemic Response

The Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS) Network Pandemic Research Response Planning project is a cross-center collaborative initiative aimed at enhancing the CEIRS network’s ability to mobilize its scientific expertise and capabilities during an influenza pandemic or pre-pandemic situation and provide research-based knowledge to inform the U.S. Department of HHS’ overall public health response. CIDRAP helped develop, vet, refine, exercise, and finalize CEIRS pandemic research response plans. 

CIDRAP Comprehensive Influenza Vaccine Initiative (CCIVI)

CCIVI addressed the significant policy, investment, leadership, and organizational barriers that must be overcome to develop the next generation of influenza vaccines that can protect those most at risk of serious illness and death and reduce the global impact of the next influenza pandemic.

Public Health Practices

The Public Health Practices (PHP) project— a partnership between CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) — and its associated website served as a one-stop shop for public health and emergency  response professionals seeking tools and strategies to respond to the health consequences of disasters. 

Influenza Training Modules

CIDRAP developed an online training portal that provided e-learning modules on topics related to avian influenza and influenza in general. Three training series, Avian Influenza, General Influenza, and pH1N1 2009 Influenza, were offered.