Casey Aveggio is a technical analyst at RAND, with a primary focus on global health security and pandemic prevention. She received her BS in Environmental Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her MS in Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases from Georgetown University. Her thesis centered on ecological and sociological drivers of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a vector borne disease with periodic outbreaks along the East Coast. She has worked as an outbreak investigator during the COVID-19 pandemic, analyzing epidemiological data to influence local policy. Her work focused on understanding the unique needs of the most vulnerable populations during a public health emergency. In her master’s program, she expanded her skillset to include analyzing biological threats not only of natural origin, but also of accidental and deliberate introduction. She has done several projects on both chemical and biological weapons, ranging from the technical aspects of each to the policy landscape barring their use. She is well-versed in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including literature reviews, statistical analysis, and field research in both conservation and infectious diseases. In addition to her work at RAND, she is pursuing a Diploma of Tropical Medicine to further her knowledge of neglected tropical diseases and migrant health. She is interested in zoonotic spillover at the human–wildlife interface, particularly how it may be influenced by climate change and globalization. Her research focuses on the ecology of infectious diseases, One Health applications, and the attribution and deterrence of biological terrorism.
Bachelor of Science in environmental science, University of California-Santa Barbara; Master of Science in biodefense, Georgetown University
