Creating a shared data resource for understanding disease spread in communities
Official title: Building a Harmonized Village Network Data Resource for Realistic Disease Transmission Models
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11094128 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is creating a helpful database that collects information about how people in rural villages interact with each other, so researchers can better understand and predict how diseases spread in these communities, especially those that come from animals.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 9, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $238,673 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AI185162-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11094128 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals living in rural or village communities who may be affected by zoonotic diseases.
✕Less likely to help
Patients living in urban areas or those not connected to rural community networks may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to develop a comprehensive data repository that captures network information from village and rural communities to improve disease transmission models. By leveraging community science, the project will compile and harmonize data from over 1,000 village networks, which includes information on contact patterns among individuals. This repository will facilitate easier access to diverse data for researchers, enabling more accurate simulations of disease spread, particularly in rural areas at risk of zoonotic outbreaks. The project emphasizes secure data sharing and aims to automate agreements for data use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more accurate predictions of disease outbreaks, ultimately improving public health responses and prevention strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that community-based data collection can enhance the accuracy of disease modeling, indicating a promising approach for this project.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Moody, James — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Moody, James
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.