Outbreak on the High Seas: A Case Study in Infectious Disease Investigation with Dr. Ashley Waters Gordon, MD, A&S, '01

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Outbreak on the High Seas: A Case Study in Infectious Disease Investigation
Instructor: Dr. Ashley Waters Gordon, A&S '01, (MD, MPH)
September 16 - October 7 (4 Sessions)
Mondays, 6:00PM - 8:00PM ET
Virtual va Zoom

Brought to you by Odyssey

Course Description: What happens when a mysterious disease outbreak unfolds in real time? Using the MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak of April–May 2026 as a case study, this course places you in the role of an infectious disease investigator. Working with situation reports, case data, epidemic curves, and contact-tracing information, you'll follow the same clues public health experts use to understand and respond to emerging threats. Along the way, you'll discover how outbreaks are investigated, how scientists assess risk and uncertainty, and how critical decisions are made when answers are still emerging. No medical background is required—just curiosity about science, public health, and real-world problem-solving.

Explore the full Fall 2026 Odyssey catalog and discover engaging courses taught by Johns Hopkins alumni, faculty and community experts.

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Johns Hopkins Tuition Remission Policies

Tuition benefits are available to University faculty, staff, and retirees only. Employees of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, or the Applied Physics Laboratory should contact your institution’s Human Resources office for information about tuition remission and eligibility:

Johns Hopkins Hospitals and Medical Institutions: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/human-resources/benefits/tuition-assistance
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory: https://www.jhuapl.edu/careers/professional-development

Select the correct ticket pricing during registration. If we cannot confirm your university eligibility, you will be requested to pay the full registration price for each course. Complete eligibility details can be found here.

Withdrawals & Refunds:

If a course is canceled or closed, the registrant is notified immediately, and a full refund is processed automatically unless another course is requested. Registrants who wish to withdraw from an active course must complete the online Odyssey Refund Request Form. Attach any documentation to support your request (e.g., medical documentation, family crisis documentation, etc.).

100% refund: Prior to the start of the course and after the first class.
No refunds: After the first week of each course unless in exceptional cases.

For single-session courses:
100% refundable within two (2) business days of the event.

Please note, refunds apply only to the tuition portion of an Odyssey participant’s charges and are not applicable to any fees or gifts made to the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association. Registrants will be notified by email if a refund is approved within five (5) business days.

ABOUT Dr. Ashley Waters Gordon, A&S '01 (MD, MPH)

After a successful career in consulting and raising six (yes, six) children— each of whom somehow survived without too many visits to the emergency department—Dr. Gordon decided it was time to turn her lifelong love of medicine into a full-time mission.

Trading PowerPoint decks for pathology and sippy cups for stethoscopes, she went to medical school with a singular goal: to keep people well enough to never need her... in the ED, anyway. An aspiring resident based in Alpharetta, GA, she now splits her time between teaching, clinical training, research, and finding clever ways to outsmart modern medicine’s most common pitfalls.

Her latest lecture, “25 Ways to Stay Out of the ED in 2025,” combines clinical insights, patient centered wisdom, and just the right dash of maternal instinct. Think evidence-based practice meets house-call heart— sprinkled with a dose of Southern charm and a very organized calendar.

When she’s not lecturing or caring for patients, she’s likely doing triage on a
group text from her kids, running on coffee and compassion, and reminding
everyone that prevention is the best prescription.

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Event Date
Starts:
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
6:00pm EDT

Ends:
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
8:00pm EDT

Contact
Odyssey
Alumni Relations Lifelong Learning
800-JHU-JHU1 (548-5481)
odyssey@jhu.edu

Ticket Options

	General Registration	$
	JHU Alumni (all divisions) 50% discount. Alumni status will be confirmed.	$
	Johns Hopkins University Faculty, Staff, or Retiree 80% discount. Status of university employment will be confirmed.	$
	Johns Hopkins University Spouse or Domestic Partner 50% discount. Employment status of Spouse/Domestic Partner will be confirmed.	$

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Select your registration type

General Registration ($200.00)

JHU Alumni (all divisions) ($100.00)

Johns Hopkins University Faculty, Staff, or Retiree ($40.00)

Johns Hopkins University Spouse or Domestic Partner ($100.00)

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Outbreak on the High Seas: A Case Study in Infectious Disease Investigation with Dr. Ashley Waters Gordon, MD, A&S, '01

Johns Hopkins Tuition Remission Policies

Johns Hopkins Hospitals and Medical Institutions: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/human-resources/benefits/tuition-assistance

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory: https://www.jhuapl.edu/careers/professional-development

Select the correct ticket pricing during registration. If we cannot confirm your university eligibility, you will be requested to pay the full registration price for each course. Complete eligibility details can be found here.

Withdrawals & Refunds:

100% refund: Prior to the start of the course and after the first class.

No refunds: After the first week of each course unless in exceptional cases.

For single-session courses:
100% refundable within two (2) business days of the event.

Please note, refunds apply only to the tuition portion of an Odyssey participant’s charges and are not applicable to any fees or gifts made to the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association. Registrants will be notified by email if a refund is approved within five (5) business days.

Registration Information

Make a Gift

Payment Information

Outbreak on the High Seas: A Case Study in Infectious Disease Investigation with Dr. Ashley Waters Gordon, MD, A&S, '01

Johns Hopkins Tuition Remission Policies

Johns Hopkins Hospitals and Medical Institutions: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/human-resources/benefits/tuition-assistance

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory: https://www.jhuapl.edu/careers/professional-development

Select the correct ticket pricing during registration. If we cannot confirm your university eligibility, you will be requested to pay the full registration price for each course. Complete eligibility details can be found here.

Withdrawals & Refunds:

100% refund: Prior to the start of the course and after the first class.

No refunds: After the first week of each course unless in exceptional cases.

For single-session courses:100% refundable within two (2) business days of the event.

Please note, refunds apply only to the tuition portion of an Odyssey participant’s charges and are not applicable to any fees or gifts made to the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association. Registrants will be notified by email if a refund is approved within five (5) business days.

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For single-session courses:
100% refundable within two (2) business days of the event.