A hackathon is a collaborative event where people come together to design creative new solutions for a variety of different topics. Our hackathon focuses on global health issues!

Infectious diseases are a class of illnesses/ disorder caused by organisms such as bacteria, fungi, or viruses. Many can be passed from one person to another, and some are even transmitted by animals, such as mosquitos and other insects.

Infection prevention refers to limiting or stopping the spread of infectious diseases. This can be done through medical interventions such as vaccines, but can also accomplished through environmental efforts like ensuring clean water. There are endless opportunities to prevent the spread of disease.

You can be a part of the 2023 Hackathon by joining us on November 10-11 to work alongside a team to create a solution focused on preventing the spread of infectious disease. Be open to learning, meeting new people, and be creative, there is not only one type of solution or design!!

Dr. Wunder is an experienced veterinarian and microbiologist with significant expertise in molecular biology and infectious diseases of zoonotic interest. He received his D.V.M degree from the Veterinary School at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Dr. Wunder also earned a Ph.D. in Investigative Medicine from the Brazilian Ministry of Health and completed a postdoctoral associate position at the Yale School of Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases. Dr. Wunder has more than 15 years of experience working on the pathogenesis of Leptospira and in diagnostic reference laboratories for leptospirosis, both in veterinary and public health settings. Dr. Wunder's interests and research goes beyond the pathogen, focusing also on the host/reservoir and the environment, and is well aligned with the concept of One Health.

Dr. Anil Vaidian is a medical doctor with 17+ years of Public Health experience. He earned his M.D. at Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo and went on to receive his Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology & General Public Health at Columbia University. He is a triple boarded physician in Internal Medicine - Infectious Disease - and Preventative Medicine. A.K. Vaidian is the former Director of Communicable Diseases for Westchester County, Director of Disease Control and Prevention for Rockland County, and former Commissioner of Behavioral and Community Health for Dutchess County. Currently, Dr. Anil Vaidian works for the U.S. Federal Government in the Department of Defense.

Zeinab is a second year PhD student at the University of Connecticut with a strong background in technical research and teaching, specializing in biomedical engineering and neural engineering. She earned her Masters in Biomedical/Medical Engineering from the University of Tehran.  Her journey in academia has been marked by significant contributions and hands-on experience in various roles, showcasing proficiency in signal processing, machine learning, and programming languages such as Python, R, and MATLAB.. She served as a TA for senior design, biomedical instrumentation, and at the Neuromatch Academy Summer school, Computational Neuroscience section. Zeinab was also engaged in cutting-edge research on Brain-Computer Interface using her various skills.