2026 CSTE Annual Conference Workshops

Building Consensus Definitions: A Collaborative Approach to Chronic Disease Surveillance

CSTE Staff Lead: Rebecca Ruvane

CSTE will host an interactive half-day workshop to bring together chronic disease epidemiologists and partners to collaboratively design and refine case definitions for chronic disease surveillance using emerging clinical and administrative data. Participants will explore best practices and frameworks, including existing definitions, CMS quality measures, and other standardized approaches, to ensure consistency and comparability across jurisdictions. The session will also address practical considerations such as data availability across jurisdictions, interoperability, augmenting other data sources, and opportunities to leverage health data for improved public health action. Through guided discussions and group exercises, attendees will work towards developing robust definitions that support monitoring, reporting, and decision-making in chronic disease prevention and control.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have… 

1. Reviewed current chronic disease case definitions and surveillance approaches. 
2. Drafted standardized case definitions for at least one chronic condition. 
3. Explored strategies for integrating definitions into surveillance systems with existing resources and assets. 

Using Diverse Data to Strengthen Disability Health Surveillance 

CSTE Staff Lead: Rebecca Ruvane

This half day workshop will equip applied epidemiologists and public health professionals with strategies to strengthen disability health surveillance using traditional and novel data sources. Participants will explore key concepts including the strengths of syndromic surveillance, opportunities for using novel data streams including electronic clinical and administrative data, and techniques and best practices for data linkage. Through use cases and collaborative exercises, attendees will learn practical approaches to improve data quality, incorporate the lived experience, and integrate multiple datasets for more comprehensive and actionable insights to support the health and wellbeing of communities with disabilities. 

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to… 

1. Understand the role of diverse data sources in disability health surveillance. 
2. Apply syndromic surveillance concepts and definitions to identify health trends for people with disabilities.  
3. Implement strategies to link traditional and novel data sources to improve disability health surveillance. 

The Freedom Trail to Safer Workplaces: Guiding the Future of Occupational Health 

CSTE Staff Lead: Cailyn Lingwall

The 2026 CSTE Occupational Health Surveillance Workshop will focus on highlighting risk factors for occupational injuries and illnesses. The objective of the workshop will be to address regional and national injury and illness trends in the workplace, and to explore how increased and enhanced occupational health surveillance can help reduce occupational risks. 

CSTE Staff Lead: Will Fritch 

This workshop aims to share information and foster meaningful discussions on HAI/AR topics, including surveillance, reporting, prevention, and response activities, as well as workforce development and program leadership. Presenters and attendees will include CSTE members, CSTE fellows, HAI/AR Subcommittee leadership, and representatives from CDC and other partner organizations. Agenda items will be tailored to HAI/AR program staff in STLT health departments but others with a stake in the work of HAI/AR programs (e.g., division leadership) are welcome to participate.

CSTE Staff Lead: Ellie Bergren 

The Forecasting and Modeling for Public Health Workshop at the 2026 CSTE Annual Conference will introduce concepts of forecasting and modeling in public health practice. Join us as we discuss use cases, interpretation of models, leveraging partnerships and analytic tools, and much more. Review how models and forecasts are communicated and apply models to a real-world scenario in a hands-on demonstration. You will hear from jurisdictions and partners involved in innovative forecasting and modeling approaches and learn some practical skills to apply to your own jurisdiction. We welcome open discussion in navigating challenges, successes, and needs in your jurisdiction.

Target audience: Epidemiologists (including State Epidemiologists/Deputies in the morning), data scientists, and all those interested in an introduction to modeling and forecasting in public health practice. We recommend that new attendees watch our course on Infectious Disease Modeling 101 for Public Health: https://learn.cste.org/index.php?option=com_splms&view=course&id=142

CSTE Staff Lead: Amelia Blumberg 

CSTE, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will host the Influenza Surveillance Coordinators Workshop on Sunday, May 31, 2026, as part of the CSTE Annual Conference. This workshop provides a collaborative forum for state, Tribal, local, and territorial health department Influenza Surveillance Coordinators and viral respiratory disease epidemiologists, alongside CDC colleagues, to address current challenges in influenza and other viral respiratory disease surveillance. Topics may include pan-respiratory surveillance approaches and key issues related to influenza, COVID-19, RSV, HPAI, and other viral respiratory diseases. The workshop will include opportunities for breakout discussions and the sharing of jurisdictional experiences. Participants will be encouraged to share expertise, strengthen professional relationships, and enhance collaboration among influenza and viral respiratory disease programs from health departments around the country. This workshop is open to all registered conference attendees.

Objectives:

• Highlight best practices in applied epidemiology of influenza and other viral respiratory diseases.
• Enhance the epidemiology and informatics competency of public health practitioners.
• Foster opportunities for skill development, collaboration, and knowledge exchange.
• Identify strategies and tools to support more efficient and effective analysis, communication, systems thinking, and program planning in prevention, identification, and response to influenza and other respiratory viral diseases in the United States.

Recognizing 50 Years of Legionella Prevention and Response while Harboring Good Times in Boston

CSTE Staff Lead: Akila Simmons 

Join us for an engaging and interactive workshop on Legionnaires’ disease, designed to provide a deep dive into the latest public health surveillance techniques, outbreak investigation strategies, and best practices for prevention. This workshop is tailored for public health epidemiologists, environmental health specialists, drinking water professionals, and laboratorians.

Through dynamic presentations, lively panels, and collaborative roundtable discussions, participants will have the chance to share experiences, challenges, and lessons learned from the field. We will cover a broad range of topics, from effective water management and outbreak response to emerging research and best practices for Legionella prevention. We’ll explore key findings, address emerging challenges, and identify real-world insights to strengthen public health strategies.

Each session will include an interactive Q&A, providing ample opportunity for participants to engage with expert panelists, and network with fellow professionals. Don’t miss this chance to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and contribute to advancing Legionella prevention and response across the nation!

CSTE Staff Lead: Rebekah Mathew 

CSTE will host the Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Workshop on Sunday, May 31, 2026, as part of the 2026 CSTE Annual Conference. The workshop provides a collaborative forum for state, Tribal, local, and territorial jurisdictions to discuss current themes and address challenges in vaccinepreventable diseases. Participants will have the opportunity to share expertise and strengthen relationships between VPD programs from across the country. This workshop is open to all registered conference attendees. Objectives: • Identify best practices in applied epidemiology of vaccine-preventable diseases. • Facilitate skill building opportunities. • Identify strategies and tools to improve program planning in prevention, identification, and response to vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States. 

CSTE Staff Lead: Rachel Radcliffe 

The CSTE Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases Subcommittee, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will host a vector-borne diseases (VBD) workshop for epidemiologists, entomologists, and other public health staff whose work focuses on vector-borne disease (VBD) surveillance and control. The purpose of this workshop is to facilitate networking and information sharing among attendees to help enhance VBD capacity and partnership building across jurisdictions. Topics that will be incorporated into the workshop’s presentations and discussions are anticipated to include emerging and re-emerging VBDs and best practices for VBD surveillance, prevention and control.  

Objectives: 

1. Provide updates on timely and emerging vector-borne disease topics. 
2. Share information on vector-borne disease resources and ways to access these resources. 
3. Describe the importance of identifying key partners and developing and maintaining relationships with these partners as part of vector-borne disease investigations. 

Lighting the Way for Public Health Action: Wastewater Surveillance in Practice

CSTE Staff Lead: Abby Hoffman 

CSTE will host a full day wastewater surveillance workshop at the 2026 CSTE Annual Conference to convene wastewater surveillance epidemiologists to discuss current trends, emerging issues, best practices and share success stories. The workshop will focus on building resilient wastewater surveillance programs and translating data into public health action.

Enhancing Collaboration and Capacity for Syndemic Approaches to HIV, STI, Viral Hepatitis, and Substance Use Surveillance

CSTE Staff Lead: Symone Richardson 

The Syndemic Approaches Workshop is intended for HIV, STI, viral hepatitis, and substance use surveillance coordinators and other health department staff involved in or interested in the implementation and evaluation of syndemic approaches. Workshop discussions will 1) examine the current capacity of surveillance programs across various jurisdictions to implement and evaluate syndemic approaches, 2) identify programmatic challenges and technical assistance needs, 3) share best practices and lessons learned, and 4) explore opportunities for guidance, standardization, and collaboration in syndemic approaches

CSTE Staff Lead: Rachael Singer 

CSTE, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will host a zoonotic enteric disease outbreak detection and response workshop for epidemiologists. The purpose of this workshop is to engage in meaningful discussions surrounding methods for detecting, investigating, and controlling enteric disease outbreaks linked to animal contact. Workshop presenters and attendees will have the opportunity to discuss their experiences, challenges and lessons learned regarding zoonotic enteric disease surveillance and response. Resources for epidemiologists, including training, applications, and tools, will be highlighted throughout presentations and case examples. Presenters and attendees will include epidemiologists from STLT health departments and CDC moderators from the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases (DFWED). 

Objectives:

1. Become familiar with types of zoonotic enteric disease outbreaks that occur in the United States including settings and etiologies 
2. Become familiar with tools and resources that are available to help guide zoonotic enteric disease surveillance and outbreak detection and response 

Substance Use & Mental Health Surveillance

CSTE Staff Lead: Megan Sullivan 

The 2026 CSTE Substance Use and Mental Health Surveillance Workshop provides the opportunity for participants to learn from subject matter experts and peers,  to share information across jurisdictions, and to engage in discussion on emerging topics and methods.  This year’s workshop is a full day covering substance use and misuse, mental health, and overdose related topics.  Content will be shared via panels, presentations and interactive small group discussions. 

Revolutionary Insights: Building Broader Use of Syndromic Data

CSTE Staff Lead: Becca Tugan 

The 2026 half day in-person Syndromic Surveillance Workshop: Revolutionary Insights: Building Broader Use of Syndromic Data will convene syndromic surveillance users to explore how various programmatic areas are utilizing syndromic surveillance data and participate in functional exercises. The workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to learn how syndromic surveillance can be applied across various topic areas in public health. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss barriers and strategies to overcome them when integrating syndromic surveillance data into their public health practice. Participants will also have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues to address potential real-world scenarios through functional exercises. Through these activities, participants will walk away with practical tools, shared strategies, and hands on experiences to more effectively use syndromic surveillance data in public health practice.

Target Audience: Epidemiologists, informaticians, data analysts, and data scientists that utilize syndromic surveillance systems.

Navigating the AI Harbor: A Hands-on Workshop for Modern Epidemiologists 

CSTE Staff Lead: Taylor Pinsent 

As data volumes grow, AI is shifting from a futuristic concept to a vital tool for the modern epidemiologist. This half-day interactive upskilling session, led by PubHealth Futures staff, moves beyond the hype to provide functional AI literacy through hands-on practice. PubHealth Futures bridges the gap between cutting-edge tools and real-world adoption through communities of practice, neutral advisory, pilot support, and capacity-building. Participants are asked to bring their own computer and will learn to identify high-impact use cases, such as using deep research to synthesize literature, generating synthetic data, and mastering precision prompting to ensure scientific accuracy. Complementing the technical training, there will be a discussion on AI tools and resources currently under development at the federal level, and how these innovations will support applied epidemiologists across the country.