CDC’s new outbreak response network to include Northeastern

Northeastern University has been selected for a leading role in a new national network formed to better forecast the spread of a future pandemic.

The university announced Tuesday the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded it $17.5 million over the next five years to develop a center focused on detecting and preparing for the next outbreak of infectious disease, especially in rural areas.

Alessandro Vespignani, director of Northeastern’s Network Science Institute, is leading the project, called “EPISTORM: The Center for Advanced Epidemic Analytics and Predictive Modeling Technology.”