Professor Dr. Darlene Bhavnani

Biography

Darlene Bhavnani is an infectious disease epidemiologist with 10 years of experience in global health. She earned her Doctorate in Epidemiology and a Master of Public Health in International Health from the University of Michigan. Throughout her career, she has worked in academic, public, and non-profit settings in North America, Latin America, and Asia, collaborating on projects with organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and the Pan American Health Organization. Her career has focused on understanding the epidemiology of risk factors for the transmission of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, diarrheal diseases, and malaria, as well as the design and evaluation of public health interventions. Dr. Bhavnani currently serves as the lead epidemiologist overseeing COVID-19 contact tracing at UTHealth in Austin.

Research Interests