Charles Whittaker
Bio
Updated 03/22/26Charles (Charlie) Whittaker is an Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology at UC Berkeley School of Public Health, where he directs the Pandemic and Epidemic Threat Analytics Lab (PETAL). His research focuses on the dynamics, detectability, and control of pathogens with pandemic potential, using epidemiological modelling, viral phylodynamics, and machine learning to inform preparedness and response strategies. He holds a PhD in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from Imperial College London (2022), an MSc in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from Imperial College London, and a BA in Biological Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge. Before joining Berkeley, he was a Sir Henry Wellcome Research Fellow at the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, where he co-led analytical support for countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also a trained field epidemiologist who served with the UK's Public Health Rapid Support Team and the World Health Organization, including deployment to the 2018-2020 North Kivu Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has received support through EA-aligned funding channels for travel related to academic research on pandemic preparedness and biosecurity.
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Links
Updated 03/22/26- Personal Website
- https://whittakerlab.com/
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