Hongru Du

Hongru Du is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Systems and Information Engineering at the University of Virginia. His research integrates systems engineering, artificial intelligence, and public health to develop AI-driven and computational frameworks that support data-informed health decision-making. He focuses on modeling human–disease interactions and improving the resilience and efficiency of health systems. Dr. Du is a founding contributor to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE COVID-19 Dashboard, one of the world’s most widely used pandemic tracking tools. His infectious disease forecasting models have supported the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in guiding national responses to COVID-19 and seasonal influenza outbreaks. He continues to advance computational methodologies that integrate human behavior into complex systems modeling, with the goal of improving preparedness and resilience to tackle broader societal challenges.