COVID-19 Genomic Epidemiology Toolkit Developer: Michael Weigand, PhD

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Michael Weigand

Bioinformatics Health Scientist

Pertussis and Diphtheria Laboratory
Division of Bacterial Diseases
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases

Michael Weigand, PhD, developed the overall design and organization of the COVID-19 Genomic Epidemiology Toolkit. He recruited CDC and external partner contributors and reviewed and curated content for the Toolkit.

Dr. Weigand is a Bioinformatics Health Scientist in CDC’s Pertussis and Diphtheria Laboratory, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. His primary research interest is comparative genomics of bacterial pathogens, focusing on Bordetella pertussis. Since 2014, Dr. Weigand has led the laboratory’s efforts to characterize novel genetic variation among circulating B. pertussis using high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics. He holds a BS in Biochemistry and Environmental Chemistry from St. Vincent College and PhD in Genetics from Michigan State University. He completed Postdoctoral training in microbial genomics and bioinformatics at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

“Genome sequencing is a powerful tool for public health, and the COVID-19 Genomic Epidemiology Toolkit provides a practical introduction to genomics for SARS-CoV-2 through a series of short modules specifically tailored to epidemiologists. Hopefully, these training materials encourage the broader application of genomics to epidemiologic investigations beyond the current pandemic to improve public health response to other infectious diseases.”