Dr. Jonathan Epstein

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Jonathan Epstein is an adjunct associate professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and a veterinarian epidemiologist. His research primarily focuses on the ecology of spillover zoonotic viruses that affect wildlife, domestic animals, and humans, particularly high-consequence viruses associated with wildlife, including Nipah virus, Ebola, Marburg virus, avian influenza, and zoonotic coronaviruses. Dr. Epstein collaborates with government health and wildlife agencies globally and intergovernmental institutions such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Africa CDC, and IUCN to develop zoonotic disease surveillance systems. He is also involved in teaching and mentoring graduate students at Columbia, with additional adjunct faculty appointments at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and Harvard University’s Department of Human Evolutionary Biology. His extensive research has been published in prestigious scientific journals, including Science, Nature, and PNAS, and has been featured in media outlets like 60 Minutes and CNN. Dr. Epstein served as the Chief Scientific Advisor for the exhibit “Outbreak: Epidemics Connected World,” which opened at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History in 2017.

Research Interests

Awards

#2025

Tufts Alumni Achievement Award

#2021

Griffin Circle Award

#2014

Commencement Speaker

#2012

Top ten

#2007

Outstanding Alumnus Award

#2006

Delta Omega Honor Society

Requirements for Columbia University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Overall
Required:7.5
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or international equivalent
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Transcripts
  • Statement of Academic Purpose
  • Personal Statement
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • CV or Resume
  • Application fee
Specialization Notes

Department of Anthropology (GSAS)