This DOM Staff Spotlight was first published in the January 5, 2026 DOM Bulletin by the Emory Department of Medicine.  

Sofia Santoro

Surveillance Epidemiologist for the Georgia Emerging Infections Program within the Division of Infectious Diseases

Tell us about yourself. Where are you from?
I am originally from Los Angeles, California, and am also a dual citizen of Sweden. Growing up, I spent each summer with my family in Sweden. After graduating from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, I moved to Atlanta for graduate school and have been here ever since.

What is your professional background?
I initially started my undergraduate studies in neuroscience, with the hopes of becoming a physician. One global pandemic, one switch in academic majors, and many years of research later, I have found my way into the field of public health. Before getting my MPH in Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health here at Emory, I spent many years getting a taste of research in a variety of fields. I dedicated many years to research in topics like adolescent e-cigarette research at the University of Southern California and qualitative research about the challenges faced by NICU families at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Through these research positions and my undergraduate studies in health promotion and disease prevention, I realized that epidemiology was a profession that combined my interest in data analysis and my passion for understanding how and why communicable diseases spread.

What is your role at Emory?
I am a surveillance epidemiologist at the Georgia Emerging Infections Program (GA EIP). The GA EIP is a collaborative effort between the CDC, Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta VA Medical Center, and, of course, Emory University! The Georgia EIP is one of many EIP sites across the country, all of which conduct active population-based surveillance on a multitude of infectious diseases. I work specifically on a team that conducts surveillance on a pathogen called Clostridioides difficile (aka “C. Diff”), which is a healthcare-associated infection.

How long have you worked in the Department of Medicine?
I initially started as a graduate student epidemiologist in 2022; however, I have now been working as a full-time surveillance epidemiologist in the Department of Medicine for the past year and a half.

What are you currently working on? Any upcoming projects?
I will continue to conduct Clostridioides difficile surveillance with my amazing team. My work is comprised of a variety of tasks, including reviewing electronic medical records to complete Case Report Forms (CRFs) and doing lab work with the infectious disease specimens we receive from local partners, just to name a few. This upcoming year, I look forward to developing my statistical coding skills and learning new data analytics tools!

What do you like to do for fun outside of work?
Outside of work, I love to read. I am a member of several book clubs, including some with my Emory coworkers and friends! I am also a movie fanatic- you can probably find me at your local AMC most weekends.