"Colours are my storytelling companions; I use them to bring data to life and uncover the narratives hidden within."
Embedded Files
Hi, I'm Avik Kumar Sam!
I am a Research Fellow at the Centre for Epidemic Research and Modelling, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore (NUS). I am working with Prof. Swapnil Mishra on spatiotemporal disease modelling and network design sampling.
I recently completed my PhD in Climate Change & Public Health at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), where my research focused on understanding how socioeconomic inequities, climate variability, and environmental change interact to shape infectious disease dynamics. I primarily worked with Prof. Harish Phuleria from IITB and Dr. Ipsita Pal Bhowmick from ICMR, and also with Prof. Siuli Mukhopadhyay from IITB.
With nine peer-reviewed presentations and awards from ISES-ISEE, MoE, SERB, IDM and ISEE, my doctoral work examined the spatiotemporal transmission of malaria and dengue across multiple scales, using a combination of statistical methods, machine learning, artificial intelligence, Bayesian modelling, and mechanistic approaches. In fact, my PhD research was shaped by continuous stakeholder engagement and collaborations with multilateral academic, research, and government institutions, including the Ministry of Family and Health Welfare, Government of India; the Government of Maharashtra; the Government of West Bengal; the Indian Council of Medical Research; and Swiss TPH.
Designed using Canva.
I have developed early warning systems for climate-sensitive diseases, evaluated public health interventions using causal inference frameworks, and built scalable tools, including interactive dashboards and analytical libraries, to translate complex data into actionable insights.
More broadly, I am interested in developing integrated frameworks that connect climate science, epidemiology, and policy, with a growing focus on quantifying the health and economic impacts of climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Prior to my PhD, I completed my Master’s in Environmental Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay, where I conducted research on the carbon composition and toxicity of atmospheric dust.
Engaging deeply with climate and health literature during this time led me to ask a central question that continues to guide my work: how do environmental change and social inequities together shape health risks, and how can we design better, more equitable responses?
If you’d like to collaborate or exchange ideas, feel free to reach out. I’m always open to meaningful conversations.
Selected Research Highlights.
ClimAID - Climate change impact using AI on Infectious Diseases
(Update: version 2 under development based on feedback)
ClimAID is an AI-integrated, calibration-enhanced climate–disease modeling framework designed to produce reproducible, climate-informed infectious disease predictions at fine administrative scales, with a central emphasis on its deterministic reporting module.
ClimAID is available at https://pypi.org/project/climaid/
(For easy installation: use pip/conda install climaid)
malaria-India
Malaria in India, a sixteen-year story is an interactive, browser-based dashboard for exploring malaria surveillance trends across India from 2010–2025 using publicly reported NCVBDC data.
Includes state- and district-level visualisations, epidemiological indicators, comparative analysis, and a lightweight local query interface that runs entirely in the browser.
malaria-India dashboard is available at https://malaria-india-ai.avikkumarsam.in/
Climatic drivers of the 2024 malaria outbreak in two neighbouring districts in northeastern India and its corridor: The indirect role of El Niño
A delayed rise in temperature linked to El Niño-driven climatic anomalies appears to have contributed substantially to the 2024 malaria outbreaks in Alipurduar and Kokrajhar. Early climate-informed surveillance and timely vector-control planning could help prevent localised resurgence and preserve malaria elimination gains, particularly in districts with low annual parasite incidence (API).
Impact of projected climate and socioeconomic scenarios on state-wise annual dengue incidence in India using ensemble models
In the immediate future, sustainability-focused development is likely to see a relatively smaller increase, while a regional rivalry scenario may see the largest increase.
In southern India, future outbreaks are projected to increase; while it may decrease significantly in the densely populated states of the Gangetic Plains.
Increase in Delhi’s air pollution linked with global energy crisis due to West Asia War
In Delhi, supply disruptions prompted the hospitality sector to shift toward more polluting solid-fuel alternatives. Although NOx declined with reduced vehicular activity, PM2.5, CO, and SO₂ increased markedly, especially during evening peak hours.
SO₂ and CO rose by 29.3% and 48.2% in low-density restaurant areas, while CO increased by ~32% in high-density areas.
The persistent 6.3–20.4 µg/m³ PM2.5 surplus suggests a widespread shift in combustion practices independent of restaurant density.
These findings highlight the need for energy-resilient urban policies, cleaner commercial heating, and inclusion of restaurant emissions in air-quality monitoring.
Mapping malaria risk in India between 2019 and 2023
Malaria cases declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, but post-pandemic data indicate a geographical expansion of P. vivax in north-eastern India.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse