Why some communities had higher COVID-19 infections and deaths
Systems modeling to address the social and biological drivers of disparities in infection and mortality from emerging infectious diseases
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · NIH-11064015
This project builds models that combine social factors like income, race, and work conditions with how the virus spreads to help protect communities hit hardest by COVID-19.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (ANN ARBOR, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11064015 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This work mixes biological models of how COVID-19 spreads and causes severe disease with information about social conditions such as housing, jobs, income, and access to care to explain why some groups suffered more. Researchers will use case counts, death records, vaccination timing, and community-level social data to build multi-level transmission and outcome models. The team will identify which social and biological factors drive disparities and test different ways to measure unequal burden. The goal is to create tools and policy recommendations to prevent similar inequities in future outbreaks.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This work is most relevant to people from communities that experienced higher COVID-19 burden—low-income neighborhoods, communities of color, immigrant communities, and frontline workers with greater exposure.
Not a fit: Individuals looking for a new medical treatment or immediate personal therapy are unlikely to benefit directly, because this grant focuses on population-level modeling and planning rather than clinical care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could guide fairer public-health actions (like vaccination and testing strategies) to reduce unequal infections and deaths in future epidemics.
How similar studies have performed: Some prior research modeled social or biological factors separately, but fully integrating both to predict and prevent disparities is a newer approach and not yet widely proven.
Where this research is happening
ANN ARBOR, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR — ANN ARBOR, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: ZELNER, JONATHAN L — UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- Study coordinator: ZELNER, JONATHAN L
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 below.