Michael Mina (epidemiologist)

Michael Mina is an American physician, epidemiologist, and public health researcher known for his work on infectious disease diagnostics, particularly rapid antigen tests for COVID-19, and his advocacy for their widespread use as a public health tool.

Mina received his MD and PhD degrees from Emory University. His doctoral work focused on viral dynamics and immune responses to measles. He then completed a residency in clinical pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a fellowship in molecular pathology at Harvard Medical School.

His research interests encompass a range of topics related to infectious disease epidemiology, diagnostics, and public health policy. He is particularly interested in the use of innovative diagnostic technologies to improve disease surveillance and control.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mina became a prominent voice in the public health discourse, arguing that frequent, inexpensive rapid antigen tests could be a key strategy for identifying and isolating individuals with active infections, even if those individuals were asymptomatic. He emphasized that while rapid antigen tests are less sensitive than PCR tests, their speed and accessibility could allow for much more frequent testing, leading to a greater impact on slowing transmission.

Mina has held faculty positions at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. His work has been published in leading scientific journals, and he has frequently contributed to public discussions about public health issues through media interviews, social media, and op-eds.

His advocacy for rapid testing has sometimes been met with debate and scrutiny, particularly regarding the interpretation and application of test results in different contexts. However, his contributions have significantly influenced the conversation around diagnostic strategies for managing infectious disease outbreaks.