Erika Austhof

Erika Austhof is an Assistant Professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health (Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics) at the University of Arizona. She joined the faculty in 2012 and earned her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Arizona in 2023. Her research examines how extreme weather and climate change influence foodborne, waterborne, and enteric disease dynamics, with a focus on public health adaptation strategies.

• Education: PhD in Epidemiology (University of Arizona, 2023)

Austhof’s work bridges climate science with epidemiology, analyzing interactions between climate extremes (droughts, precipitation events) and infectious disease transmission. She collaborates with CLIMAS to develop climate-health adaptation measures and has contributed to cooling center equity frameworks and heat-related illness mitigation during dual hazards like heatwaves and pandemics.

Her research trends include:

• Climate-driven foodborne/waterborne disease modeling
• Post-infectious sequelae of diarrheal diseases and SARS-CoV-2
• Spatial optimization of public health interventions
• Wildfire emissions and cardiovascular health
• Community engagement in climate adaptation

Austhof has mentored students in SARS-CoV-2 contact tracing and case investigations. Her projects include the Climate and Health Adaptation Monitoring Program (CHAMP) and studies on climate impacts on vector-borne diseases.