Amanda Castel, Scientific Advisor, MD, MPH is a tenured Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. Dr. Castel's research focuses primarily on HIV and related infectious diseases. She served as the Chief Epidemiologist for almost a decade on a Public Health Academic Partnership between the DC Department of Health HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, TB Administration and GWU and leads a robust NIH-funded research portfolio. She is also the lead of the DC Centers for AIDS Research (CFAR) Ending the HIV Epidemic Scientific Working Group and serves on the DC CFAR Executive Committee. In addition to being recognized for her expertise as an HIV researcher, Dr. Castel has expertise in outbreak investigation and applied epidemiology. She trained at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer during which time she investigated numerous communicable disease outbreaks. During the COVID-19 pandemic response she has worked with local health departments to assist with case investigations, conduct trainings, and serves in an advisory capacity to public health leadership. Dr. Castel is a board certified pediatrician and preventive medicine physician and teaches the course on Infectious Disease Epidemiology at GWU's Milken Institute School of Public Health.