Mark M. Janko

Mark M. Janko, PhD, MSPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the University at Buffalo's School of Public Health and Health Professions. He joined the faculty in 2025 and is affiliated with the Center for Climate Change and Health Equity. His research integrates environmental science, epidemiology, and biostatistics to address global health challenges related to climate change and infectious diseases.

His educational background includes:

• PhD in Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• MSPH in Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• MA in International Studies & Global Health, University of Denver
• BA in History, University of Colorado-Boulder

Janko is an environmental and spatial epidemiologist whose work focuses on understanding how land use, climate variability, and social factors influence the transmission of vector-borne diseases such as malaria. He employs advanced hierarchical Bayesian spatio-temporal models and primary data collection to study disease dynamics in high-burden regions including the Amazon and Congo Basins, Madagascar, and Panama. His research is deeply collaborative, engaging local communities and policymakers to ensure scientific findings translate into real-world public health interventions.

Dr. Janko leads the NIH-funded K01 project, ELIMINAR-Malaria, which uniquely combines climate data, human mobility patterns, and parasite genomics to map and predict malaria transmission in the Amazon. He also contributes to multiple federally funded initiatives supported by NIH, NASA, and NSF that explore climate-health interactions. His methodological expertise in spatial modeling and interdisciplinary approach positions him at the forefront of climate and health equity research.

His scientific contributions span across:

• Climate-sensitive infectious disease modeling
• Bayesian statistical methods in public health
• Global health equity
• Environmental determinants of health
• Genomic epidemiology
• Human mobility and disease spread

Although no specific awards are listed in the provided text, his successful acquisition of an NIH K01 award indicates recognition of his research potential and early-career excellence. Dr. Janko advises students in epidemiology and environmental health, though no current advisees are named. He is actively involved in research teams and interdisciplinary projects focused on climate change and health equity, working across international settings with local stakeholders to build resilient public health systems.