data.org is delighted to announce the addition of expert data scientist, Dr. Thibaut Jombart.

Thibaut joins data.org as Software Design and Implementation Lead, responsible for system interoperability and automation across the Epiverse software packages. In this role, he will focus on building links within the Epiverse tools and with external collaborators and users, defining and implementing software design strategies, conducting research to maximize tool efficiency in outbreak response contexts, and serving as an advisor to relevant data.org programming. Working with the global collaborative of Epiverse building partners, Thibaut will lead the transformation of today’s epidemiological response tools, leveraging a robust and open software ecosystem.

Thibaut brings critical first-hand experience in outbreak responses, both as part of academic teams and in the field. Prior to joining data.org, Thibaut was an Associate Professor in outbreak analytics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and served as a consultant for the World Health Organization. Thibaut worked on several outbreak responses as an academic, including pandemic influenza, MERS-CoV, or the COVID-19 pandemic, and has also been deployed with the WHO to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where he used data science to inform the response to Ebola outbreaks. Pertinent to his role at data.org, Thibaut is extensively involved in developing data science software and has authored or co-authored over twenty R packages. This software has attracted an expansive user base, with packages garnering approximately 540,000 downloads and over 6,000 citations. He is also the founder of the R Epidemics Consortium (RECON), a non-profit organization for the development of free, open-source analysis tools and training resources for the response to humanitarian crises.

“Open-source software holds the power to alleviate the procedural bottlenecks that slow down infectious disease response. Epiverse’s technology will ensure that the information generated by one epidemiological analysis can be used seamlessly in another. The inclusive open-source Epiverse community will deliver greater insights across the globe, empowering the production of better products, solutions, and ultimately health outcomes. I am delighted to help data.org lead this charge,” said Dr. Thibaut Jombart.

Thibaut holds a Ph.D. in biostatistics from the University of Lyon, France, and is a part-time senior lecturer in outbreak analytics at Imperial College London.

“Dr. Thibaut Jombart is a leading expert and contributor to the field of outbreak analytics, and we are thrilled to have him lead technology development across Epiverse,” said Ibrahim Mahgoub, Program Director, Epiverse. “His interdisciplinary expertise and boots-on-the-ground experience will provide a critical focus on interoperability and field effectiveness, ensuring that Epiverse tools enable responders to be more connected and informed.”