Dr. Albert Ko

Biography

Albert Ko is a Professor and Department Chair at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs, with a focus on Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases) and Medicine (Infectious Diseases). His research addresses health issues that arise from rapid urbanization and social inequity, coordinating a research training program on urban slum health in Brazil. He conducts prospective community-based studies on rat-borne leptospirosis, dengue, and various respiratory infections. His work emphasizes understanding the transmission dynamics and natural history of leptospirosis and models infectious diseases that emerge in slum environments due to interactions of climate, urban ecology, and social marginalization. Ko's current research employs a multidisciplinary approach combining epidemiology, ecology, and translational research to identify prevention and control strategies for slum communities. He has mobilized public health research capacity in Salvador, Brazil, to investigate outbreaks of Zika virus infections and associated microcephaly. Additionally, he is the Program Director for the Yale Fogarty Global Health Equity Scholars Program, which provides research training opportunities for post-doctoral fellows from low- and middle-income countries collaborating with international sites.

Research Interests