Amy Winter

Amy Winter, assistant professor in the College of Public Health, is an epidemiologist whose research uses mathematical and simulation-based models to inform global vaccination policy. A central contribution of her research is analyses conducted through the Vaccine Impact Modelling Consortium, in which Winter evaluated rubella vaccine introduction scenarios across 19 countries. Her findings demonstrated that longstanding World Health Organization guidelines—requiring 80% measles vaccine coverage prior to rubella vaccine introduction—were unnecessarily restrictive. By showing that rubella vaccine introduction would not increase the burden of congenital rubella syndrome in these countries, her work provided strong evidence for expanding vaccine access. These results informed deliberations of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization and contributed to revised global recommendations that will allow more than 200 million children access to the rubella vaccine. Achieving this level of policy impact at an early career stage reflects Winter’s exceptional research influence in infectious disease epidemiology.