HEALTHCARE + PUBLIC HEALTH
I’m passionate about using epidemiology, geospatial analysis, healthcare data, and technology to identify vulnerable populations and turn data into meaningful public health action. My work is driven by a simple belief: data is most powerful when it helps us understand who is being affected, where disparities exist, and how we can better advocate for the communities behind the numbers.
CLINICAL COORDINATION + PATIENT CARE
My experience in clinical coordination has given me a firsthand understanding of how patients navigate complex healthcare systems. Working in a primary care setting, I support the coordination of care across providers, specialists, pharmacies, laboratories, insurance companies, and patients—helping reduce administrative barriers that can delay access to necessary care.
FROM OPERATIONS TO OUTCOMES
Clinical coordination has shaped how I approach public health and health technology. Working directly with patients has shown me that improving health outcomes requires more than identifying disparities—it also requires understanding the operational barriers that determine whether someone can actually access care.
WHY PUBLIC HEALTH
My passion for public health lies in identifying populations that may be disproportionately affected by disease, healthcare barriers, or social and environmental conditions. Through spatial epidemiology and tools such as ArcGIS, I am interested in identifying geographic patterns of vulnerability and translating complex data into information that can support surveillance, prevention, resource allocation, and earlier intervention. I believe public health professionals also have a responsibility to communicate what the data means, advocate for vulnerable populations, and help ensure evidence reaches the people and decision-makers who can act on it.
SPATIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
Where someone lives can shape their exposure to disease, access to healthcare, environmental conditions, and opportunities for prevention. My research interests center on combining epidemiologic data with geospatial methods to identify disease patterns and populations that may benefit from targeted surveillance and public health intervention.
01 IDENTIFY
Use spatial and epidemiologic data to identify geographic patterns of disease and vulnerability.
02 UNDERSTAND
Explore factors that may contribute to differences between communities.
03 ACT
Translate findings into support for prevention, resource prioritization, and public health decisions.
ArcGIS · Spatial Epidemiology · GIS · Disease Surveillance · R · Python · Spatial Statistics · Predictive Modeling · Data Visualization · Public Health
RESEARCH + IMPACT
TUBERCULOSIS SPATIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY — Kansas City
Research using geospatial and sociodemographic data to examine geographic patterns in tuberculosis and explore approaches for identifying communities that may benefit from enhanced surveillance.
FOCUS Tuberculosis • Vulnerable Populations • Spatial Epidemiology
METHODS ArcGIS • R • Spatial Statistics • Regression Modeling • Moran’s I • Spatial Filtering
IMPACT Translating geographic disease patterns into potential surveillance and prevention strategies.
PRESENTED AT American Public Health Association Annual Meeting — 2025
Read the APHA Feature
PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCACY
My work in tuberculosis epidemiology strengthened my interest in what happens after research findings leave the classroom or laboratory. At TB Congressional Hill Day in Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to engage with policymakers and advocate for sustained tuberculosis prevention, surveillance, testing, treatment, and public health funding. Serving as a Florida State Captain reinforced my belief that researchers and public health professionals can connect scientific evidence with policy conversations.
TB CONGRESSIONAL HILL DAY · Washington, D.C. • 2026 · Florida State Captain
Read My TB Advocacy Story
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Selected peer-reviewed research exploring spatial epidemiology, disease vulnerability, geospatial modeling, and population health.
SPATIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
Exploratory Spatial Risk Modeling of Chlamydia Vulnerability at the ZCTA Level Using Spatial Filtering and Sentinel-2 Data
American Journal of Mathematics and Statistics · 2026 · Volume 15 · Issue 2 · Pages 21–30 · DOI: 10.5923/j.ajms.20261502.01
Geospatial and statistical approaches for understanding patterns of population health vulnerability.
Read Publication →
CHLAMYDIA + SPATIAL RISK
Exploratory Spatial Risk Modeling of Chlamydia Vulnerability at the ZCTA Level Using Spatial Filtering and Sentinel-2 Data
American Journal of Mathematics and Statistics
Exploring geographic variation in chlamydia vulnerability using spatial filtering, ZCTA-level analysis, and satellite-derived data.
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CANCER + GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS
Spatial Autocorrelation of Pancreatic Cancer Incidence Across ZIP Codes in Hillsborough County, Florida
British Journal of Healthcare and Medical Research · 2026 · Volume 13 · Issue 02 · Pages 232–242 · DOI: 10.14738/bjhr.1302.20170
Examining geographic patterns and spatial autocorrelation in pancreatic cancer incidence across Hillsborough County.
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TUBERCULOSIS + PREDICTIVE MODELING
Intentionally Violating the Univariate Assumption of Homogeneity of Variance Covariance Matrices Employing Non-infinitesimal Default Axiomatic Kolmogorovian Probabilities…
Springer · Tech Enabled Global Health Security · 2025
Advanced geospatial and statistical modeling of tuberculosis determinants and forecasting in Florida.
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VULNERABLE POPULATIONS · INFECTIOUS DISEASE · HEALTHCARE + TECHNOLOGY · SPATIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY · HEALTH EQUITY · PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCACY
MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH — Global Communicable Disease · University of South Florida · 2024–2026, Delta Omega Honorary Scholar
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE — Public Health · University of South Florida · 2020–2024
CERTIFICATION IN PUBLIC HEALTH · CPH
SPURITHA BHANDARU · Public Health • Healthcare • Research • Technology • Advocacy
LET’S CONNECT
I’m always interested in connecting with people and organizations working at the intersection of healthcare, public health, research, technology, and population health.
Email Me
SPURITHA BHANDARU
Health. Creativity. Impact.