Dr. Marisa Donnelly

Dr. Marisa Donnelly

Contributing Epidemiologist

Dr. Marisa Donnelly, a senior epidemiologist with wastewater monitoring company Biobot Analytics, has worked in applied public health for over a decade, specializing in infectious diseases and emerging public health threats. She holds a PhD in epidemiology and has led multiple outbreak investigations, including at the California Department of Public Health and as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Marisa has conducted research in Peru, focusing on dengue and Zika viruses, as well as the mosquitoes that spread them. She is Healthbeat’s contributing epidemiologist for New York in partnership with Your Local Epidemiologist. She lives in New York City.

When we see whooping cough increase, our response as a community is mainly aimed at protecting babies through vaccination and ensuring those around babies are vaccinated.

Some counties have very low rates, and all that's needed in those unvaccinated pockets is a spark — an infected person traveling — to spread measles like wildfire.