Brown College Researchers to Illuminate Options on Prevailing Pandemic Challenges

Apr 14, 2023

Tasks to handle testing, education mode impacts, misinformation and vaccine passports will obtain $226,536 in analysis help from Peterson Basis fund.

PROVIDENCE, RI (April 14, 2023) — The Peter G. Peterson Basis Pandemic Response Coverage Analysis Fund is offering $226,536 to help 4 Brown College analysis tasks that may assist policymakers, well being officers, educators and group leaders perceive and tackle crucial classes discovered from COVID-19.

The 4 analysis investigations, chosen by way of a aggressive course of, will create a nationwide diagnostic testing playbook; analyze studying loss restoration in U.S. college districts and the impression of education modes on pupil well being; compile options to mitigate healthcare misinformation; and discover methods to reinforce the safety and security of vaccine passports.

“These progressive analysis tasks will assist enhance our understanding about future pandemics and their aftermath,” mentioned Jill Pipher, Vice President for Analysis at Brown College. “They tackle arduous classes discovered from the COVID-19 pandemic in crucial areas together with testing diagnostics, information privateness, misinformation and studying loss — and can assist information policymakers going ahead.”

This yr’s Peterson Basis Fund awardees are:

• Privateness-Preserving Digital Well being Certificates
  Anna LysyanskayaProfessor of Pc Science
  
  This venture will discover utilizing privacy-preserving authentication algorithms in digital vaccine credentials to make sure that no private info is revealed throughout a transaction aside from the standing of vaccination/testing necessities. “The coverage implications of this work is that it’s going to create a roadmap for the event of vaccine passports that aren’t as intrusive from the privateness standpoint because the options which might be at present obtainable,” mentioned Anna Lysyanskaya, principal investigator of the research. “In flip, this may result in higher public acceptance of vaccine passports, and eradicate the potential of discrimination attributable to lack of privateness because of their use.”
• Growing a Diagnostic Testing Playbook for Rising Infectious Illness Emergencies
  PI: Jennifer NuzzoDirector of the Pandemic Heart, Professor of Epidemiology
  CO-PIs: Elizabeth CameronProfessor of the Apply of Well being Companies, Coverage and Apply
  Scott Becker, Govt Director, Affiliation of Public Well being Laboratories
  
  The nationwide Diagnostic Testing Playbook will present U.S. leaders a transparent and evidence-based information for making speedy and efficient choices about growing diagnostic testing in an infectious illness emergency. “Extra clearly defining the total set of choices that should be made, and by what actor, to determine and scale-up testing in a public well being emergency will allow extra well timed and efficient motion to manage the unfold of illness, save lives, and assist cut back social, healthcare and financial prices,” mentioned Jennifer Nuzzo, principal investigator of the research.
• COVID-19 Educational and Well being Impacts on College students: Understanding Studying Loss Restoration and How the Pandemic Formed College students’ Well being Outcomes
  Emily OsterJJE Goldman Sachs College Professor of Economics
  Via an evaluation of studying loss restoration throughout college districts, the impression of education mode (in-person, hybrid, or digital) on college students’ well being outcomes, and the elements affecting education mode choices all through 2020–2021, this venture will present training leaders and policymakers with perception into how you can greatest assist their college students make tutorial positive aspects following the pandemic and past. “College techniques may have a deeper understanding of the methods during which education mode can considerably have an effect on college students’ well being outcomes, enabling them to make extra knowledgeable distant studying choices within the face of future public well being emergencies,” mentioned Emily Oster, principal investigator of the research.
• What We Know and Don’t Know: A Challenge to Perceive Find out how to Successfully Translate and Visualize Analysis on Mitigating Covid-19 Misinformation
  Claire WardleProfessor of the Apply of Well being Companies, Coverage and Apply
  A residing literature evaluation will doc world misinformation intervention efforts, what works, and the place interventions have been launched, offering this info by way of a multidisciplinary lens to mitigate COVID-19 misinformation. “The COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t the primary pandemic and it gained’t be the final,” mentioned Claire Wardle, principal investigator of the research. “Offering policymakers, group leaders and public well being officers with instruments to simply establish 1) interventions which have been efficient towards the numerous shades of COVID-19 misinformation and a couple of) data gaps the place future analysis on interventions is required will probably be basic to defending the general public from future outbreaks of illness.”

“These investigations will present insights and options for leaders in any respect ranges to enhance preparedness and mitigate the well being, financial and financial impacts of nationwide emergencies,” mentioned Michael A. Peterson, CEO of the Peterson Basis. “Our Basis is happy to help these well timed tasks that may make America extra resilient and outfitted for the longer term.”

Launched in 2022, the $1 million Peterson Basis award fund helps progressive, multidisciplinary analysis on the challenges offered by pandemics throughout public well being, well being care, fiscal coverage, the financial system, and training in america, in addition to potential options in these areas for policymakers to contemplate. In 2022, nine awards had been made within the first cycle. On this yr’s second funding spherical, Pipher and a committee of college reviewers chosen 4 of 13 analysis proposals for awards starting from $49,936 to $80,000. The one-year awards could also be used to pilot totally new tasks and research or to pivot or scale-up current tasks.

“These analysis tasks create new insights or synthesize current information in a brand new approach to assist improve our readiness for the subsequent pandemic,” mentioned Pipher. “All are subjects worthy of educational research and I sit up for the options developed because of these investigations.”

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For extra info, contact:
Edel Minogue, Senior Director
Workplace of Analysis Technique and Growth
(401) 863-5465
[email protected]

In regards to the Peter G. Peterson Basis

The Peter G. Peterson Basis is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that’s devoted to rising public consciousness of the character and urgency of key fiscal challenges threatening America’s future, and to accelerating motion on them. To handle these challenges efficiently, we work to convey People collectively to seek out and implement wise, long-term options that transcend age, occasion traces and ideological divides so as to obtain actual outcomes. To be taught extra, please go to www.pgpf.org.