Data Science Institute

William C. Goedel, PhD [he/him] is an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health. He is a social epidemiologist, with significant methodological expertise in the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to guide public health policy and practice. His research uses spatial analytical techniques to quantify the burden of many of the United States' most pressing public health challenges across neighborhoods to identify areas that are overburdened and underserved. This applied research is often conducted in close collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Health, covering a range of health conditions including asthma, cancer, COVID-19, drug overdose, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and vaccine-preventable infections. He is a faculty affiliate at the Pandemic Center, where he leads efforts to increase capacities for data-driven decision-making during public health emergencies among staff at local health departments and their community partners. 

How does your research, teaching, or other work relate to data or computational science?

Broadly, my research aims to use a range of computational epidemiological approaches to understand how the conditions of the neighborhoods we live, work, and play in shape the health of populations. Recent work aims to leverage advances in handwriting recognition to unlock historical data sources that can help us plan for future public health challenges. This research is complemented by a range of teaching activities that aim to train the next generation of public health professionals in the responsible use of a wide range of data sources and analytical approaches.