Workforce Development and Education

Educating the public health workforce on how to leverage genomic technologies to investigate and respond to infectious diseases threats is a key pillar of the Pathogen Genomics Centers of Excellence (PGCoE) Network. Educational opportunities include broad, national initatives spearheaded by the Lead PGCoE for Education, as well as trainings and tutorials conducted and made available by all individual PGCoE sites. These resources and educational videos span core pathogen genomics principles, effective laboratory protocols, and state-of-the-art analytical tools.

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Lead PGCoE for Education

The PGCoE Lead Education program website is officially live! Our education program, Pathogen Genomics for Public Health, features free, self-paced courses designed for:

Two foundational courses build basic skills to turn pathogen genomic insights into public health action. Foundations I: Conceptual Foundations of Pathogen Genomics provides a first introduction to pathogen genomics for anyone in public health. Foundations II: Technical Introduction to Pathogen Genomic Epidemiology: Mutations, Transmission, and Phylogenetics then provides learners with a deeper understanding of key molecular biology principles that underpin genomic epidemiology. Together, these courses explain how sequencing data supports surveillance and outbreak response and offer concrete tools to improve collaboration across lab, bioinformatics, and epi teams.

These courses were developed with input and expertise from across the PGCoE network and are the gateway to a planned curriculum of 10+ courses, including advanced modules for those seeking deeper expertise. The next three courses are under development, as a pathway, “Applied Pathogen Genomics for Public Health: Sequencing Strategy, Study Design, and Interpretation”—will cover sequencing strategy (including metagenomics), genomics-informed study design, and genomic data interpretation.

Learn more and register today!

Trainings and Tutorials

Nextstrain Tutorial

Tutorial on how to use Nexstrain in genomic epidemiology investigations and share data/analyses publicly.

NW PGCoE Courses

Courses on pathogen genomics and genomic epidemiology offered by the Northwest PGCoE.

VA PGCoE Materials & Outreach

Educational materials and outreach events regarding the use of genomics in public health from the Virgiana PGCoE.

GA PGCoE Videos

Educational videos in genomic epidemiology.