GoKawiilCEPI's Polina Brangel on using AI to prepare for 'Disease X'
Polina Brangel, a research-and-development data-innovation lead at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in Oslo, discussed her career path from biosensor and cancer-diagnostic research into pandemic preparedness. She described shifting her rapid diagnostic test work toward Ebola after the 2014 West African outbreak, later studying COVID-19 immune responses, and now focusing on preparing for a hypothetical future pathogen the WHO calls 'Disease X'.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Brangel's trajectory illustrates how biomedical tools developed for one disease, such as cancer diagnostics, can be redirected toward outbreak response, suggesting value in cross-disciplinary flexibility within health research. Her current focus on AI-assisted preparedness for an unknown future pathogen reflects a broader effort by organizations like CEPI to move beyond reacting to known diseases toward anticipating unknown threats.
- Brangel transitioned from cancer biosensor research to infectious disease diagnostics after the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
- She joined CEPI in 2023 and now works on preparedness for 'Disease X', a WHO-coined term for an unknown future pathogen.
- Her work incorporates AI tools alongside lessons learned from COVID-19 immune response research.
Source: nature.com — Hobson, 2026-10-07
Published there as: “Why sound, strong science alone isn’t enough in pandemic preparedness”
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