Dr. Duane Gubler is a preeminent global authority on vector-borne infectious diseases whose career has profoundly shaped the understanding and control of tropical pathogens. He currently serves as Emeritus Professor and founding director of the Signature Research Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, where he established a world-class research initiative focused on emerging pathogens. Prior to this position, Dr. Gubler held significant leadership roles at the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, serving as founding Chief of the Dengue Branch in Puerto Rico for nine years and Director of the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases in Fort Collins, Colorado for fifteen years. He further strengthened his academic credentials as Chair of the Department of Tropical Medicine at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine for five years, building comprehensive research and training programs. Dr. Gubler received his ScD from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which later honored him with an adjunct professorship reflecting his enduring contributions to the field.
Dr. Gubler has dedicated over fifty years to the study of dengue and other vector-borne diseases, establishing himself as the world's leading authority on dengue epidemiology and transmission dynamics. His groundbreaking research has fundamentally shaped global understanding of pathogenesis and prevention strategies, with over 350 scholarly publications and two seminal textbooks that have become standard references in tropical medicine. His establishment of the CDC Dengue Branch laboratory in Puerto Rico created the first dedicated research facility for dengue in the Americas, catalyzing decades of critical research on the disease's resurgence in tropical regions. Dr. Gubler's extensive field experience spans Asia, the Pacific, tropical America, and Africa, providing unparalleled insights into the ecological and social determinants of vector-borne disease emergence across diverse settings. His work has directly informed public health policies and interventions worldwide, significantly reducing the burden of dengue through evidence-based approaches that integrate virology, entomology, and epidemiology.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Gubler has been instrumental in building global capacity to address vector-borne diseases through numerous leadership initiatives that have transformed the field's collaborative landscape. He founded the Pediatric Dengue Vaccine Initiative in 2002 and served as its first Chair of the Board of Councillors, establishing the framework that eventually led to the development and deployment of the first dengue vaccines. Dr. Gubler currently chairs both the Global Dengue and Aedes-transmitted Diseases Consortium and the Partnership for Dengue Control, coordinating efforts across more than fifty countries to develop integrated approaches to disease prevention. His service on numerous World Health Organization committees and scientific advisory boards for both public and private institutions continues to shape the global agenda for emerging infectious disease research and response. Dr. Gubler remains actively engaged in mentoring the next generation of tropical disease researchers and advising policymakers as emerging pathogens continue to pose evolving challenges to global health security.
