Wilbert van Panhuis, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the NIAID Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies
Wilbert joined the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) as Director of the Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies (ODSET) in 2021, following his distinguished tenure at the University of Pittsburgh. He brought a unique mix of clinical insight and a vision for how data could improve research and public health. We are grateful for his talents, experience, and knowledge in data science and infectious diseases. He was deeply committed to the idea that better data sharing and access would lead to faster scientific discoveries and better health outcomes.
Even after he stepped down as Director in 2024 to focus on his health, Wilbert continued to be a valued advisor. His dedication to our mission and to his colleagues, even during a difficult time, showed his true character.
His vision still guides our work. Projects like the NIAID Data Ecosystem Discovery Portal and the NIAID Blueprint for Data show his commitment to building a more connected, collaborative, and data-driven research community.
He stood for scientific rigor, and always encouraged collaboration and openness. One of his greatest contributions was his work with the Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellowship program. As a mentor, he helped guide the next generation of scientists, leaving a legacy that will live on through their work.
Although Wilbert achieved a great deal professionally, those of us who worked with him will remember him most for his leadership, kindness, dedication, and especially his warmth, smile, and wit.
Biography
Wilbert van Panhuis, M.D., Ph.D., was a globally recognized leader in data science for public health, focused on improving access and use of data for public health research. He was highly successful in building large-scale international partnerships for data sharing, data integration, and data-driven research on infectious diseases, with scientists from varied disciplines and with government health agencies at international, national, and local levels in the US and globally. At NIAID, he led multiple efforts to coordinate the development and implementation of NIAID’s data science strategy across its entire global portfolio of research and training programs. Specific highlights included shepherding novel approaches for data discovery, such as the NIAID Data Ecosystem Discovery Portal and the NIAID Data Landscaping Project, and coordinating NIAID data science activities across NIH and other agencies.
Dr. van Panhuis envisioned and established Project Tycho, a highly successful data repository that comprises over 125 years of detailed, standardized US infectious disease surveillance data that were not previously available in a format that researchers could easily use. Globally, Dr. van Panhuis led the development of an international network of researchers and government agencies in Southeast Asia to integrate and study over 20 years of dengue surveillance data. He collaborated in various roles with the World Health Organization to improve access and use of data for public health research and decision making. Dr. van Panhuis also established and directed the inaugural Coordination Center for the Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS), leading the development of new data systems for computational modeling of infectious diseases and pandemic response strategies.
Dr. van Panhuis’ research was published in high-impact scientific journals and was featured in over 200 international media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and the BBC World Service. He published a seminal study on the impact of US childhood immunization using over a century of data, and worked on dengue transmission using data from eight countries in Southeast Asia. He also published on the challenges to data sharing in public health and organized multiple international symposia on data sharing, access, and integration for public health research.
Dr. van Panhuis received his MD from the Free University Medical Center in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and a PhD in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Prior to joining NIAID, he served for 12 years as faculty member in Epidemiology and Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh.