Short course

In recent years our understanding of infectious-disease epidemiology and control has been greatly increased through mathematical modelling. With infectious diseases frequently dominating news headlines, public health and pharmaceutical industry professionals, policy makers and infectious disease researchers increasingly need to understand the transmission patterns of infectious diseases. This allows them to interpret and critically evaluate both epidemiological data and the findings of mathematical modelling studies.

The transmissible nature and resulting non-linear dynamics of infectious diseases make them fundamentally different from non-infectious diseases. As a result, techniques from 'classical' epidemiology are often invalid and are likely to lead to misleading conclusions.

Over the last 30 years there has been rapid progress in developing models and techniques for the analysis of epidemic data. Those techniques have been applied to a variety of pathogens such as HIV, SARS, avian influenza, pandemic influenza, Ebola and malaria. The Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London has been the world leader in mathematical modelling of the epidemiology and control of infectious diseases of humans and animals, for many years. Our department is actively engaged in research and regularly advises public health professionals, policy-makers, governments, international organisations and pharmaceutical companies, often during real-time outbreak situations.

Our course has been taught since 1990 by leading researchers in infectious disease epidemiology, who provide a thorough, but accessible and demystifying introduction to the essential elements of modelling and an update of the most practically-relevant aspects of this fast-moving field. The course is revised every year to reflect the most recent developments in the field. Diseases covered include COVID-19, avian influenza, SARS, HIV, TB, Influenza A (H1N1), Ebola, malaria and other vector-borne diseases. Past participants have included hospital clinicians, public health executives, health economists, veterinary researchers, biologists, and mathematicians who have come from 42 countries.

This course will enable you to:

• Understand the key concepts of infectious disease transmission and control - and the differences with non-infectious diseases, taught by people who apply those concepts every day.
• Learn how modelling informs policy-making, from case-studies presented by the individuals who advise public health professionals and governments, nationally and internationally.
• Learn about cutting-edge developments, taught by leaders of the field.
• Read modelling papers to critically-evaluate and interpret their findings.
• Understand how different control measures (e.g. vaccination, treatment, isolation, quarantine, travel restrictions) will be effective, or ineffective, for different diseases.
• Explore models of different types of infectious disease, including influenza, TB, HIV, Ebola and vector-borne diseases.
• Design and use simple but powerful models, using Excel and other user-friendly software.
• Collaborate effectively with mathematical modellers.

Early booking is strongly advised. All applications will be acknowledged. Provisional places will only be confirmed when full fee payment has been received. Applications can only be submitted through the online application form. 

The fee for the course is £2565 if booked before 31^st May 2026, and £2850 if booked after that date. The optional maths and Excel refresher day the day before the course starts is free of charge. The fee covers tuition, social events and a comprehensive set of digital course notes.

We can accept payment by credit card (we accept Visa, MasterCard or JCB), debit card (we accept Visa, Visa Electron, Maestro or Solo), or cheque / bank draft. We ask you to indicate your method of payment when you apply for the course.

We do not require payment details when you apply: we will tell you how to pay once you have been offered a place. 

Payments will be accepted until 31^st August 2026 (5pm BST)

We offer a limited number of scholarships for participants from low- and middle-income countries. Scholarship applications must be received by 22^nd March 2026 through the online application form. 

Course participants require only a very basic mathematical ability (high school level is more than sufficient), as the fundamental principles of infectious-disease transmission behaviour are simple to grasp. Since most participants do not use maths regularly, if at all, we introduce concepts gently, step-by-step, and we offer the reassurance of an optional maths refresher on the Sunday before the course.

Course participants do not require any coding abilities. Calculation is done using Excel (With an optional Excel refresher day on the Sunday before the course) and a user-friendly modelling package. Hence manipulation of equations is not required, and participants are not expected to know any programing languages.

We emphasise how to express biological and clinical principles in a model and how to interpret results from a biological and clinical perspective.

While the key concepts are introduced in lectures, most of the learning takes place in computer practical sessions, question-and-answer sessions and small-group discussions of key topics and published papers. This interactive teaching is designed to encourage reflection and consolidation of the key concepts.

In the first week, the basic conceptual, mathematical, statistical and simple computational tools needed for a rigorous approach to infectious disease epidemiology are introduced. Keynote lectures and case studies covering a wide range of topics place the current use of mathematical modelling in context, illustrating how it contributes in a number of ways to epidemiological studies, policy-making and evaluation.

The focus of the second week is on extended, in-depth, hands-on, small-group projects, complemented by lectures addressing practical case studies.

This course does not merely illustrate examples of models, but rather we maximise your learning by helping you to make your own and applying them to real-world data, for example data from the recent Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

Each year, we also invite a speaker from outside the department. Past speakers have included Dr. Chris Dye (Director of Strategy in the Office of the Director General at the WHO), Prof. Harald Zur Hausen (2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine), Prof. Barry Marshall (2005 Nobel Prize in Medicine), Prof. Peter Piot (former Executive Director of UNAIDS), Dr Robert Newman (former Director of the Global Malaria Programme at the World Health Organization), Dame Anne Johnson (Chair of Population and Lifelong Health at UCL), and Prof. Charlotte Watts (Chief Scientific Advisor, UK Department for International Development).

We ask that all participants bring a laptop computer to allow them to fully engage with our user-friendly modelling software, along with all the models used and developed on the course.

The course also provides many opportunities to talk with department staff during numerous social events, including a dinner banquet and special buffet lunches. In the past those informal exchanges have lead to various scientific collaborations.

There is no formal assessment, a certificate of attendance will be issued.

The course offers numerous occasions to socialise with fellow participants and to get to know staff and students within our very friendly department. Delegates will get to enjoy a flight on the London Eye, offering spectacular views across London and its many famous landmarks, followed by a formal meal with members of the department. We will host a welcome reception following the first day of teaching, two catered lunches during the course, social activities such as a trivia quiz, as well as farewell drinks on the final evening. The central London location of the Imperial College White City Campus also provides an ideal opportunity to explore the city, we will be more than happy to recommend our favourite restaurants and activities!

Past participants have included hospital clinicians, senior public health executives, health economists, veterinary researchers, biologists and mathematicians. They have come from 42 countries worldwide.

Great course, I'm really amazed by how much I've learnt in two week

Fantastic course, excellent practical introduction to mathematical modelling

This course has just opened my eyes in the understanding of the dynamic of infectious diseases

It was a fantastic experience. I would recommend to anyone with an interest in modelling, an amazing experience

The course gives you an insight in how to use mathematical models to address questions that are almost impossible to predict without

Excellent and insightful approach to public health. Certainly all public health professionals need to understand the role of models

An excellent overview of the field of mathematical modelling of infectious diseases and how it can help in control of infections

Great people and experience

Location

Department of Infectious Disease Epidemology,
Imperial College London School of Public Health,
White City Campus,
80–92 Wood Lane,
London W12 0BZ

By Air

The closest airport is Heathrow, from where a taxi or other private road transport will take approximately 35 minutes to reach the Campus. Via the underground, you can take the new Elizabeth Line to Ealing Broadway and then change to the Central line to White City. Alternatively, the Heathrow Express and Hammersmith and City / Circle line trains will take you into Wood Lane station in approximately 45 minutes.

By Public Transport

The nearest Underground station is White City, served by the Central line. The Campus is also just six minutes walk from Wood Lane station (Circle and Hammersmith and City lines) and just under 20 minutes walk from Shepherd’s Bush station (Central line, Overground and National Rail connections).

Plan your route with the Transport for London journey planner).

By Car

Imperial’s White City Campus is next to the Westway (A40), a key route into the heart of London. It also takes you outwards to the North Circular ring road (A406) surrounding central London, and beyond to the M25 encircling Greater London. There is parking provision for external, registered visitors and for maintenance contractors who need to access the site. There are also permanent parking spaces for disabled staff and disabled students based at the White City Campus.

Overseas delegates requiring Visas for the UK are responsible for their application and should allow sufficient time for the process to be completed.

If you wish to cancel your place on the course please inform us by email. Cancellations made more than four weeks before the start of the course will be be offered an 80% refund. If you cancel within four weeks of the start of the course we may not offer you a refund.

We reserve the right to cancel the course at short notice. We will endeavour to provide participants with as much notice as possible, however we will not accept liability for costs incurred by participants or their organisations for the cancellation of travel arrangements and/or accommodation reservations as a result of the course being cancelled or postponed. If a course is cancelled, fees will be refunded in full. We also reserve the right to postpone or make alterations to the content of the course.