Erika Austhof PhD, MPH, is an assistant research professor in Epidemiology at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. Austhof was an Epidemiologist with the college coordinating public health research projects in food-borne diseases and climate change and health. Her research focuses on understanding how extreme weather and climate change influence food-borne, water-borne, and enteric disease transmission dynamics.

Education

2023 – PhD Epidemiology – University of Arizona
2015 – MPH Epidemiology – University of Arizona
2012 – BS Microbiology – University of Arizona

Selected Publications

Austhof E, Warner S, Helfrich K, Pogreba-Brown K, Brown HE, Klimentidis YC, et al. Exploring the association of weather variability on Campylobacter - A systematic review. Environ Res. 2024 Apr 4;252(Pt 1):118796. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2024.118796

Brown HE, Austhof E, Luz PM, Ferguson DB. Economics, health, or environment: What motivates individual climate action? PLOS Clim. 2023;2(8): e0000177. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000177

Austhof E, Bell ML, Riddle MS, Catalfamo CL, McFadden C, Cooper K, Scallan E, Jacobs ET, Pogreba-Brown K. Persisting gastrointestinal symptoms and post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome following SARS-CoV-2 infection: results from the Arizona CoVHORT. Epidemiol Infect. 2022 Jul 8;150:e136. http://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268822001200

Austhof E, Brown HE. Flexibility and partnerships perceived as supportive of dual hazard response: COVID-19 and Heat Related Illness, Summer 2020. The Journal of Climate Change and Health. 2021 Oct 1;4:100068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2021.100068

Austhof E, Boyd K, Schaefer K, McFadden C, Owusu-Dommey A, Hoffman S, et al. Scoping Review of Toxoplasma Postinfectious Sequelae. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 2021 Oct 1;18(10):687-701. http://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2021.0015

Pogreba-Brown K, Austhof E, Armstrong A, Schaefer K, Villa L, et al. Chronic gastrointestinal and joint-related Sequelae Associated with Common Foodborne Illnesses – A Scoping Review. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 2019;17(2). https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2019.2692

Research Interests/Area

• Food-borne disease
• Climate change and health
• Data science