Jennifer Horney is Professor and Founding Director of the Program in Epidemiology and Core Faculty at the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware. Her research focuses on measuring the health impacts of disasters, as well as the linkages between disaster planning and household actions related to preparedness, response, and recovery.
Dr. Horney received her Ph.D. and MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where her research focused on the role of social factors in decision making during disasters. She has served on a number of national committees and is currently a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Center for Preparedness and Response, a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Planning Committee on Exploring Best Practices in Integration of Public Health and Human Services Service Delivery and Assessment Following Large Scale Disasters, and a member of the Publications Board of the American Public Health Association. She has led interdisciplinary research projects funded by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Academies of Sciences, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal, state, and local agencies.
Dr. Horney was a member of a team of public health practitioners who responded to Hurricanes Isabel, Charley, Katrina, Wilma, Irene, and Harvey where she conducted rapid assessments of disaster impact on the public health of individuals and communities. She has also provided technical assistance to public health agencies globally around disasters, emerging infectious disease outbreaks, and pandemic influenza planning and response.