By: Yessenia Torres
Dr. Mike Wimberly, Interim Director of the Data Institute for Societal Challenges (DISC) and Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Oklahoma, served as an instructor for NASA’s Remote Sensing for Climate-Sensitive Diseases training, held on October 7 and 9, 2025.
The training was hosted by NASA’s Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) program, which provides online courses that teach participants how to access, analyze, and apply NASA satellite data to address real-world challenges. This two-day virtual event attracted more than 600 participants from around the world.
As part of the training, Dr. Wimberly designed and delivered a session focused on the use of satellite remote sensing for malaria forecasting. His lesson explored how environmental variables and conditions related to malaria—such as temperature, vegetation, and surface water—can be observed from space. Participants also learned how to access and prepare relevant remote sensing datasets and integrate them into forecasting models through the EPIDEMIA system, a platform developed to support malaria early warning in Ethiopia.
In addition to demonstrating key steps in data processing and integration, Dr. Wimberly discussed the benefits and challenges of using satellite observations for tracking and forecasting malaria outbreaks. The session concluded with a look at the primary outcomes of the case study and opportunities for expanding this approach to other regions and diseases in the future.
The full training recording is available on NASA’s ARSET YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/OLLQXfaW3Cc.
