Jason L. Salemi, PhD, MPH, FACE

Professor, Department of Epidemiology

Interim Chair, Department of Epidemiology

Concentration Lead, PhD Program, Epidemiology

Contact Info

• Office: CPH 2108
• Academic Email: jsalemi@usf.edu
• Academic Phone: (813) 974-9449
• View My C.V. | View My Website | View My Lab Site

Education

Discipline

Epidemiology

Specialization

• Maternal and Child Health
• Birth Defects
• Public Health Surveillance and Data Systems
• Health Data Linkages
• Data Visualization

Biography

Dr. Salemi is a proud Tampeño and an accomplished triple alumnus of the University of South Florida (USF), having earned his BSc in Biology/Pre-Med Sciences in 2000, his MPH in 2005, and his PhD in Epidemiology in 2014, with concentrations in Biostatistics and Applied Biostatistics. He is blessed with a wonderful wife and son and a supportive network of family, friends, and colleagues. He is also blessed to do what he loves and truly practice his passion.

Research Interests

• Dr. Jason L. Salemi is a nationally recognized expert in birth defects surveillance, epidemiologic methods, and public health data systems. He has led or contributed to numerous state- and federally funded grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts, and is highly skilled in database development, data linkage, management, and analysis.
• In 2014, after completing his doctoral studies, he joined Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, TX, as a tenure-earning Assistant Professor. During his tenure at BCM, he served as Director of Analytics for the Center for Primary Care and Population Health Research, Assistant Director of a HRSA-funded Postdoctoral Primary Care Research Fellowship, and Clinical Research Trainer for BCM's Center of Excellence in Training and Research.
• In 2020, Dr. Salemi returned to USF, where he continues to build productive relationships with colleagues in the College of Public Health and the Morsani College of Medicine. He is currently the Principal Investigator for the Birth Defects Surveillance Program, a collaboration among the CDC, the Florida Department of Health, and USF to enhance surveillance, research, education, prevention, and support activities through the Florida Birth Defects Registry.
• In 2020, as part of his commitment to serve the community, Dr. Salemi created a statewide interactive dashboard to track the pandemic in Florida. The dashboard gained national attention and, through 2024, served as a vital resource for researchers, data scientists, public officials, and citizens across the state.
• In 2021, selected as a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology, an honor reserved for individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to the profession.
• In 2022, awarded the Outstanding Research Achievement Award at USF.
• In 2025, received the Excellence in Teaching Award at USF and the Outstanding Mentorship Award from the American College of Epidemiology – a national honor recognizing his deep commitment to educational excellence and the professional development of students and early-career faculty.
• He has authored more than 215 peer-reviewed papers and hundreds of scientific abstracts and conference presentations.
• His expertise has been featured in over 500 local, national, and international media stories across print, television, radio, and podcasts, particularly regarding the role of high-quality data in understanding the pandemic's population impact.
• He has held multiple national leadership roles, including Chair of the Data Committee and the Surveillance Guidelines and Standards Committee for the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN), where he also served as President in 2018. He is currently serving a 2024–2026 term on the NBDPN Board of Directors.
• Within the College, he has embraced leadership roles as Concentration Lead for the PhD Program in Epidemiology (2021–2025), elected President of the Faculty Assembly (2022–2025), and now as the inaugural Interim Chair of the Department of Epidemiology.
• Deeply passionate about teaching, mentoring, and advising, Dr. Salemi teaches epidemiologic methods and data management courses and serves as faculty advisor for the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Student Association (EBSA).
• Link to NCBI bibliography: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/jason.salemi.1/bibliography/public/