Public health is experiencing a paradigm shift. To help meet this need, the Rollins School of Public Health has introduced two new concentration areas to its fully online DrPH program: Applied AI and Data Translation and Leadership for Public Health Policy. These concentrations will begin enrolling students in fall 2026 and join the existing Implementation and Evaluation Science and Public Health Preparedness and Response tracks of the program, which began this fall.
Both new concentrations speak to current demands posed by this current moment in public health, specifically, equipping public health practitioners and leaders with the skills they need to advance in the workplace and to navigate the changing data environment and complicated policy landscape that characterize public health today. The Applied AI and Data Translation concentration equips students with the skills to analyze, interpret, and effectively communicate complex data to inform evidence-based strategies, policies, programs, and interventions. The Leadership for Public Health Policy concentration, meanwhile, serves to prepare mid- to senior-level professionals with advanced leadership and policy analysis skills, and to develop a deep understanding of the political, economic, and social forces that shape public health systems.
Introducing Sarah Blake and Ramesh Manyam as New Concentration Leads
On top of the rigorous training offered by the program, students benefit from forming connections with their peers, faculty, and program leads. In addition to Allison Chamberlain, PhD, director of the DrPH program and lead of the Public Health Preparedness and Response concentration; and Delia Lang, PhD, executive associate dean of educational affairs (Implementation and Evaluation Science); concentration leads now also include Ramesh Manyam, PhD, assistant research professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics (AI and Data Translation); and Sarah Blake, PhD, associate professor of health policy and management (Leadership for Public Health Policy).
“By virtue of coming to a university like Emory or a school of public health like Rollins, you'll be able to naturally start expanding your network, being part of our community, and interfacing with the faculty that are part of the program,” says Chamberlain. “If you're looking to go in a slightly different direction with your career or be introduced to different types of jobs, there's nothing better than having an expanded network to increase the likelihood that you're able to see something that you might be a great candidate for or to discover your new path.”
Ramesh Manyam
Manyam's research focuses on data science, big data analytics, and risk models with cutting-edge machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms and high-performance computing environments. Specific fields of interest include longitudinal electronic health records data analytics, time series analyses, and risk prediction using statistical and machine learning algorithms.
Manyam is a trained computer scientist with decades of experience in data-driven research projects, building custom databases, software applications, and data visualization portals. He has hands-on experience with large-scale health care data sources, such as EPIC electronic health record software system, Emory’s clinical data warehouse, and national clinical and surgical databases. Manyam currently researches computationally efficient machine learning/AI approaches and their applications for better health.
"Public health data is one of the fastest-growing sets of data on the planet—in the form of biomarkers, epidemiological data, genome data, sensors data, surveillance data, medical images, x-rays, and electronic health records,” says Manyam.
“The vast wealth of such raw data must be processed and refined by well-educated data analysts and AI scientists before it can become smart data for the data owners, researchers, and end users. To refine raw data and translate it into actionable smart insights, industries, academia, and research organizations are on the lookout for specialized skills in computationally efficient AI methods and interpretable data visualization techniques. Our Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Translation concentration is equipped to develop cutting-edge AI-powered analytical skills to produce smart AI scientists who are in high demand in emerging public health careers.”
Sarah Blake
Blake is the director of the Emory University Maternal and Child Health Center of Excellence, which provides public health training opportunities for the next generation of maternal and child health leaders. Blake holds a master’s degree and a PhD in public policy. She applies this expertise to address disparities in reproductive and maternal and child health. Blake leads several public health research projects that address access to health care for low-income, medically underserved women and their families.
Additionally, Blake works closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Georgia Department of Public Health to examine how social and community level factors influence maternal morbidity and mortality. Blake also collaborates with several community-based organizations to address the growing maternal health crisis in Georgia.
Blake is excited to serve as the concentration lead for the DrPH program in Leadership for Public Health Policy.
“Public health leadership is crucial for shaping policy, as it involves guiding complex systems, advocating for community health, and translating research into action to create solutions for population-level problems. Through our program, DrPH students will learn to become effective leaders for developing and implementing evidence-based policies to improve health care access, prevent disease, promote healthy environments, and ensure health equity for populations.”
The 60-credit-hour DrPH program is delivered fully online and can be completed on a part-time or full-time basis. Applications are open now. Learn more about the program.
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