Camden Kaminski
Research Mentor: Marisa Eisenberg
Mentor Department: Epidemiology & Complex Systems, Public Health
Author(s): Camden Kaminski, Betsy Salzman, Marisa Eisenberg
Session: Session 3 (11:00 AM – 11:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 66
Abstract
The PERISCOPE project is a community-based surveillance initiative focused on assessing patterns of pathogen shedding through the analysis of human biological samples during the winter respiratory disease season. Many viral and microbial pathogens are shed through bodily waste, including stool and urine, often prior to or in the absence of clinical symptoms. Monitoring these shedding patterns provides valuable insight into pathogen circulation at the population level and complements traditional clinical surveillance methods (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10506459/ ). The primary goal of this research is to analyze community-level pathogen shedding using human-derived samples in order to better understand seasonal trends in infectious disease prevalence and to better correlate it to community-level shedding in wastewater (https://um.wastewatermonitoring.dataepi.org/). The project involves the collection, processing, and analysis of biological samples to detect and characterize viral agents present within the community. Anticipated research activities include assisting with laboratory workflows, organizing and analyzing associated data, and contributing to the interpretation of pathogen detection results under the guidance of the research mentor. This work aims to support early detection and improved monitoring of infectious disease dynamics during periods of heightened transmission. By examining individual’s shedding patterns across time, the project may help inform public health responses and enhance understanding of how pathogens spread within communities.
