Preparing the future public health workforce for the next pandemic through innovative simulation training

Project leads:

• University of Warwick: Dr Daniel Todkill from the Division of Applied Health
• Monash University: Bethany Howard from the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine

Outbreak investigation is critical to the control of communicable diseases; dealing with misinformation and communication with patients, contacts and members of the public is critical for both information gathering and helping to stop the spread.

This project introduces an innovative approach to public health education: AI-driven outbreak simulations powered by large language models (LLMs). These simulations immerse students in realistic, high-pressure scenarios in which they must make rapid, highly consequential decisions, communicate effectively, and respond to misinformation.

These AI-driven simulations adapt dynamically to student input, creating a personalised learning experience that mirrors real-world complexity. Students play roles such as public health officers, intelligence officers and communications officers, working collectively to influence the course of the outbreak in real time. This approach builds critical skills in crisis communication, decision making, and evidence-based action, skills essential for public health professionals.

The project uses an action research framework, ensuring continuous refinement through iterative cycles of implementation, revision, and improvement. It is being piloted across Monash and Warwick in undergraduate and postgraduate public health modules, fostering shared pedagogical innovation and cross-institutional collaboration.

Importantly, the ATLAS platform powering these simulations is cloud-based and modular, enabling scalable, low-resource deployment across institutions and regions. Its AI-driven personalisation supports diverse learning styles and multilingual capabilities, making the approach inclusive and adaptable across global contexts.

Benefit to Teaching and Students

This project uses new technology to provide experiential, adaptive simulations for public health education and training. For educators, it introduces cutting-edge teaching tools that integrate AI into curriculum design, promoting active engagement and critical thinking. For students, the benefits include:

• Realistic, consequence-free practice in outbreak management.
• Development of job-readiness skills including communication and decision-making under pressure.
• Exposure to scenarios involving global challenges around misinformation and health equity in a safe environment.

By simulating real-world complexity in a safe environment, students gain confidence and competence to tackle global health crises. This innovation not only enhances learning outcomes but also sets a new standard for preparing graduates to lead in an era of rapid technological and epidemiological change.