Community spotlight: Get to know the students Alexandra Bettell and Eden Hatch, volunteers at the SORMAS Foundation!

Alexandra and Eden, both master students of the MSc Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University College London (UCL), started volunteering for the SORMAS Foundation in February 2025. They have been contributing to a project aimed at the integration of antimicrobial resistance surveillance into SORMAS. In this interview, we get some impressions about their motivation to volunteer at the SORMAS Foundation and their experience during all these months.

When did you first hear about the SORMAS Foundation and what was your motivation to volunteer on one of our projects?

Alexandra : I first heard about the SORMAS Foundation in a lecture by Dr Alexei Yavlinksy when studying for my Masters in Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology. My main motivation for volunteering at SORMAS was the opportunity important to apply what you’re learning into practice. It’s invaluable to see how the skills and theory you obtain through studying translate to practice in real-world public health initiatives.

Eden : I first heard about SORMAS from Dr Alexei Yavlinsky during an Infectious Diseases lecture back in September, at the start of my course. Learning about the burden caused by infectious diseases, particularly in lower-income settings, encouraged my pursuit to gain experience in utilizing open-source, digital systems as public health surveillance tools to aid national health security. I was especially keen to gain some professional experience whilst using my academic background, this experience has invaluably introduced me to a plethora of potential career paths related to Global Health.

The scope of SORMAS reached my other modules also, with a classmate referencing SORMAS as an outbreak management tool for mpox in an assignment, unknowingly, whilst we were collaborating with SORMAS!

What have been your main tasks during the past months?

Alexandra : My key responsibilities have been centered around reviewing existing literature to identify key antimicrobial resistance indicators used for AMR surveillance, including recommendations from the WHO. This has allowed the design of unique profiles which permit users to have varying levels of access to data, based on their role. This has then been integrated through the design user-centered changes that will amend the existing SORMAS framework to be used to AMR surveillance.

Eden : Primarily, I gathered evidence on what specific user profiles needed for the project and justified my statements using scientific literature. I researched the Environmental Surveillance Officer and Epidemiologist roles, determining what data these individuals would need to input and view. Once we compiled the roles and evidence, Alex and I presented our suggestions to the SORMAS Foundation team. This involved active justification of our choices, followed by careful integration of their feedback. During this process, we also edited, wrote and submitted an Abstract detailing our work, which was accepted to the Digital Public Health conference in Madeira.

What did you learn that you did not expect at the beginning?

Alexandra : This was my first insight into the design and intervention of a digital tool for public health so there have been plenty of opportunities to learn! One key takeaway is the importance of diverse stakeholder engagement: which is critical in the design and implementation of a useful digital tool.

Eden : One thing I didn’t expect to learn during my time with SORMAS was how much goes into translating technical tools into something meaningful for public health use. Weekly meetings with Pilar and Alexei, then presenting at the conference in Madeira showed me the importance of clear communication and collaboration, not just technical ability. Balancing this role, alongside my master’s and part-time work also taught me a lot about time management and prioritizing tasks. Perhaps most unexpectedly, the experience opened my eyes to the range of careers involved in global health and how digital surveillance systems like SORMAS can shape real-world responses to infectious diseases.

How do you think this experience will contribute to your personal and professional life in the future?

Alexandra : This opportunity has provided hands-on experience in disease surveillance, facilitating the enhancement of my research and analytical skills, that will be invaluable in pursuit of a career in public health. Working within the interdisciplinary team has highlighted the importance of collaboration and has increased both my personal and professional confidence.

Eden : Prior to my experience with SORMAS, I hadn’t considered a career related to digital systems. I have since gained a range of digital skills, from using Figma and GitHub, to identifying opportunities to advance digital platforms. Another big part of the internship was collaborating with people in different time zones and contexts, which required clear communication, completing assigned tasks to deadlines and being flexible with schedules. Altogether, this experience has shown me how my background in infectious disease epidemiology combines with digital innovation, and it’s given me both the confidence and the practical skills to work in global health surveillance in the future.

Is there any highlight of this experience that you want to share with the SORMAS community?

Alexandra : Attending the International Public Health Conference in Madeira was a standout highlight. Attending the conference itself was hugely inspiring and there were some amazing keynote speakers with great insight and different perspectives. We were also accepted to present the work we’ve been doing with SORMAS which was a great learning experience.

Eden : The highlight for me, without a doubt, was attending the Digital Public Health Conference in Madeira. It was both Alex’s and my first conference experience, and the organizers were incredibly welcoming and eager to hear about our project. We also had the opportunity to meet and network with like-minded academic professionals and entrepreneurs passionate about digital health. A bonus was that we got to explore an island as beautiful as Madeira at the same time!

I’ve come away from volunteering with SORMAS with a truly well-rounded professional skillset, and I’m especially grateful to Alexei and Pilar for their guidance and mentorship throughout our project.