Dr. Benjamin Anderson received his Master of Public Health (MPH) in 2012, and later his PhD in Public Health, One Health concentration in 2015, from the University of Florida Department of Environmental and Global Health.
After graduating with his PhD from UF, Dr. Anderson joined Duke University as a Postdoctoral Associate in the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Duke Global Health Institute (2016-18). In this role, he managed the Duke One Health Research Laboratory and worked with the Duke One Health Team on international projects evaluating the epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases. He specifically focused on adapting bioaerosol sampling techniques for the detection of routine and novel viruses in environments where people and animals have intense contact. After completing his postdoc, he accepted a faculty position at Duke Kunshan University in China (2018-22). While there, he continued working with the Duke One Health Team on the epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases, serving specifically as the Deputy Director of the Duke Kunshan One Health Research Laboratory. During this time, he also began working closely with the University of Indonesia on research and training projects related to One Health.
Dr. Anderson’s work at UF will continue to focus on the epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases with an emphasis on the use of bioaerosol sampling for the detection of viruses in emerging infectious disease hot spots and among people with intense contact with animals. He also plans to continue his international collaborations in SE Asia, with the goal to establish interdisciplinary networks for the surveillance of emerging infectious diseases and other important viral pathogens.
In addition to his research goals, at UF he will continue to mentor and teach students in One Health and infectious disease epidemiology. A core pillar of his mentorship and teaching philosophy involves facilitating opportunities for students and trainees to discover knowledge through diverse mediums, which includes obtaining guided experience in the complete research process. He hopes to work with students at all stages of their academic careers (undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral).
Dr. Anderson is most excited about the opportunities to participate in and further develop interdisciplinary research collaborations within EGH and across the UF community. He is also very excited to work with EGH students to help them achieve their academic goals. As a former EGH student himself, he greatly appreciates the exceptional training that he received and looks forward to carrying that same tradition forward as a faculty member.
Welcome back, Dr. Anderson!