Gerard A. Cangelosi

Headshot of Jerry who is an older white man with salt and pepper hair

Gerard A. Cangelosi, PhD

(he/him)
Professor Emeritus
Email: gcang@uw.edu
Office: Suite 100, Hans Rosling Center for Population Health
Expertise: Clean Air, Clean Water, Safe Workplaces, COVID-19, Infectious diseases

About

Working in both the public and private sectors, Dr. Cangelosi's research teams have generated 10 patents and over 90 publications in relevant areas, including tuberculosis and related diseases, COVID-19, oral microbiology, water-borne pathogens and health care-associated infections. These activities share strong emphases on translation and global health impact. In recent years, he has led or co-led infectious disease studies in the United States, Bangladesh, South Africa, Uganda and Kenya. Among the outputs are novel, non-invasive tuberculosis screening methods that are now in expanded clinical studies worldwide. In spring 2020, amidst the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, his team helped demonstrate similarly non-invasive methods for COVID-19 screening. These methods received accelerated FDA clearance and have become widely implemented in the US and throughout the world. Non-invasive screening for TB and COVID-19 could help to significantly reduce the global burdens of both diseases.

Dr. Cangelosi is also adjunct professor in the departments of Global Health and Epidemiology. He teaches environmental health courses on environmental change and infectious diseases.

Education

  • PhD, University of California (Davis)
  • BS, Michigan State University

Affiliations

Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology
Cangelosi Lab

Mentorship

Not accepting new students.

DEOHS Students Mentored

Tongue Swab User Acceptance for Tuberculosis Diagnosis: Characterizing the Facilitators and Barriers of Tongue Swab Use During the Era of COVID-19
Renee Codsi | MPH | 2021 | View

Tongue dorsum swab processing for the detection of tuberculosis with Cepheid Xpert® MTB/RIF Ultra
Grant Whitman | MPH | 2021 | View

Sample Adequacy Controls for Infectious Disease Diagnosis by Oral Swabbing
Meagan Deviaene | MS Thesis | 2017 | View

Oral Swab PCR as an Alternative to Sputum-based Methods for Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Rachel Wood | MS Thesis | 2014 | View

Molecular Viability Testing for Improved Diagnosis of Healthcare Associated Infections
Herakles Li | MPH | 2014 | View

Engagement

Equity, diversity and inclusion

We prioritize research that addresses the most significant public health gaps and has the greatest likelihood of demonstrable impact. Our disease screening research is designed to help mitigate the impacts of environmental change, including climate change, and to address health disparities, environmental racism and the unique health needs of disaster victims (domestic and overseas), migrants and refugees. We also strive to empower our diverse research partners. Those who do not share my privileged life experience face research career challenges that go well beyond funding. Public health research has structures that constrict and constrain scientists from under-represented groups. The squeeze becomes tighter the higher one climbs. Scientific colonialism is a problem not only in global health research, but also in research conducted with domestic community groups. Therefore, we work to recognize and empower our community and global partners to the greatest extent possible.

Community and research partnerships

Public Health — Seattle & King County

UnitedHealth Group

South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative

Global Health Laboratories

University of Cape Town

Makerere University College of Health Sciences

FIND

PATH

University of California, San Francisco

Ospedale San Raffaele

Copan Italia University of KwaZulu Natal

Stellenbosch University

Media Mentions

New tongue-swab TB test could help eradicate the disease, WHO says
March 23, 2026 | Forbes | Featured: Gerard A. Cangelosi | View
UW-developed rapid TB testing technique endorsed by World Health Organization
| DEOHS HSM Blog | Featured: Gerard A. Cangelosi | View
Five big global health wins in 2025 that will save millions of lives
December 22, 2025 | The Guardian | Featured: Gerard A. Cangelosi | View
Our most-read stories of 2025
| DEOHS HSM Blog | Featured: Magali Blanco, Gerard A. Cangelosi, Joan Casey, Peter Rabinowitz, Diana Ceballos, Elaine M. Faustman, Catherine Karr, Esther Min, Judit Marsillach, Edmund Y. W. Seto, Jennifer Otten | View
Taking down TB
| DEOHS HSM Blog | Featured: Gerard A. Cangelosi | View
Finding TB’s missing millions
| DEOHS HSM Blog | Featured: Gerard A. Cangelosi | View
Five years of COVID-19: What we have learned about SARS-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic
January 29, 2025 | The Daily | Featured: Gerard A. Cangelosi | View
Our top 10 stories of 2024
| DEOHS HSM Blog | Featured: Joan Casey, Sheela Sathyanarayana, Gerard A. Cangelosi, Lianne Sheppard | View
A swab to stop TB
| DEOHS HSM Blog | Featured: Gerard A. Cangelosi | View
Tracking down tuberculosis
January 25, 2024 | Nature | Featured: Gerard A. Cangelosi | View