Operation Outbreak Powers Biosecurity Simulation, Research Study at Georgetown University

Washington, D.C. — Nearly 100 students, academics, and professionals participated in an immersive biosecurity simulation powered by Operation Outbreak’s technology platform Friday, as part of a conference and research study event hosted at Georgetown University.

The event, entitled “Operation Outbreak: An Epidemic Simulation in the DC Metro Area,” was organized as part of a graduate capstone project led by Curtis Hoffmann, a master’s candidate in Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Diseases at the University and Biosecurity Education Lead at Operation Outbreak.

Simulation participants were assigned to role play either as members of the general public, or as responders in specific institutions—including government, public health, healthcare, biomedical research, finance, and the media—and were tasked with mitigating the impact of a simulated measles outbreak. Local socioeconomic and behavioral data was used to inform the personas and profiles that participants took on.

The program also featured student, faculty, and professional speakers, including former National Security Council official and Brown University professor Dr. Elizabeth Cameron, Gravitas Strategies CEO Chad Gorman, medical anthropologist and Georgetown professor Dr. Emily Mendenhall, and DARPA Biological Technologies Office Director Dr. Michael Koeris.

The simulation was facilitated by Operation Outbreak’s technology platform, which uses real-time, Bluetooth-based proximity tracking to simulate disease transmission, and provides interactive web portals for simulating institutional functions and decisions like countermeasure deployment, commerce, government funding, and vaccine development.

Operation Outbreak’s platform also captures anonymized behavioral and interaction data, offering a moment-by-moment window into system function during an outbreak.

The simulation formed the centerpiece of Hoffmann’s capstone research project, an IRB-approved observational study investigating how high-fidelity simulations can serve as proxies for real-world outbreak science. The study aims to analyze communication, coordination, and decision-making across sectors during a public health emergency, with findings intended to inform future preparedness strategies and policy development.

The initiative highlights Operation Outbreak’s capabilities for advancing experiential biosecurity education and research. By partnering with academic institutions, the organization continues to equip students and professionals with the tools and insights needed to navigate increasingly complex global health threats.

Media Contact:
Sellers Hill
+1 (857) 858-5798
sellers@operationoutbreak.org
www.operationoutbreak.org

About Operation Outbreak, Inc.
Operation Outbreak is a nonprofit organization that uses experiential learning and outbreak simulations to build practical outbreak preparedness skills among students, professionals, and policymakers worldwide.