People

Scientists who have run the studies

Every engagement is supported by epidemiologists, data scientists and study coordinators who are highly experienced in the types of studies we conduct, with senior collaborators brought in for specific subject matter expertise.

Denis Nash, PhD, MPH

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Denis is an infectious disease epidemiologist with more than 25 years of experience building and running studies and surveillance systems. He is Distinguished Professor of Epidemiology at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy and Executive Director of the CUNY Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health.

He began his career as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer at the CDC and later directed HIV/AIDS surveillance at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. He has led large cohort studies in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa, including the CHASING COVID Cohort and Project PROTECTS, and helped build New York's hospital wastewater surveillance program. He spent 2025 to 2026 as a Fulbright visiting professor at Sorbonne Université in Paris. His work has been covered by The New York Times, NPR and the Associated Press.

More at denisnash.com

Sarah Kulkarni, MPH

Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer

Sarah Kulkarni is Chief Operating Officer of Epidemic Intelligence, bringing more than 20 years of experience leading complex public health research, programs, and operations in the United States and internationally.

Sarah helped establish and scale the CUNY Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health, where she served as Associate Director, overseeing strategic planning, organizational operations, and the execution of large-scale research initiatives. Her expertise spans translating ambitious research objectives into practical, scalable solutions, including building the recruitment, fulfillment, and retention infrastructure supporting national at-home specimen collection studies.

Throughout her career, Sarah has led multidisciplinary teams and managed complex research operations, spanning study design and implementation, data systems, regulatory compliance, and cross-sector partnerships. Earlier in her career, she worked at the U.S. Department of State supporting the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She holds an MPH from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at New York University's Stern School of Business.

Our team

Engagements draw on the group of experienced epidemiologists, data scientists, laboratory scientists and study coordinators who built the work on this site, along with a national and global network of HIV and infectious disease specialists. Laboratory testing, sequencing, specimen collection and testing kit fulfillment and logistics are handled by long-standing industry partners.