APIC Roots, SHEA Leadership: Alexander Sundermann, DrPH, on Moving Health Care Epidemiology Forward

At IDWeek 2025, held in Atlanta, Georgia, from October 19 to 22, University of Pittsburgh assistant professor Alexander Sundermann, DrPH, CIC, FAPIC, AL-CIP, made a clear case for why genomic tools only matter if they work for the people stopping outbreaks on the ground. “My research is based on using genomics to look at outbreaks in hospitals—and how we can use infection-prevention tools to stop those outbreaks,” he told Infection Control Today^® (ICT^®).

His career path shapes Sundermann’s perspective. He started as an infection prevention clerk in 2014, logging hand hygiene observations and central-line audits, then served for years as a hospital infection preventionist (IP) while completing his doctorate in epidemiology. That dual vantage point—boots-on-the-ground IP work paired with academic rigor—now drives his agenda. “I always say my roots are as an [IP],” he noted. “As an assistant professor, I get to research how we use genomics, but also how we actually implement it in the hospital because the [IP] is going to be the one who needs to use it.”

Professional societies have been crucial touchpoints along the way. A longtime Association for Professionals in Infection Prevention and Epidemiology (APIC) member and fellow, Sundermann recalled early presentations on blood culture contamination and EMS exposure notifications. As his research focus deepened, he engaged with SHEA’s research networks, editorial work with Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, and public policy committees.

That engagement culminated in his election to the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Board of Trustees in a seat designated for nonphysicians. “What’s great about SHEA is a dedicated position for those of us from public health or infection prevention backgrounds,” he said. “[I am] very fortunate and honored that the Society voted for me, and glad to be a counselor for this upcoming cycle on the Board of Trustees. So in the next couple of years, [I will] get to work with the wonderful staff at SHEA, the wonderful board of directors, and the [SHEA] president.”

Looking ahead, Sundermann, who is also a member of the Infection Control Today^® Editorial Advisory Board, expects to work with SHEA leadership on strategic priorities at a fraught moment for public health.

“Health care and health care research especially need attention as we navigate funding cuts,” he said. His goal is to keep genomic epidemiology practical: build methods that identify transmission, translate findings into actions IPs can run with, and strengthen the link between research and routine operations.

“It’s going to be a collaborative effort,” Sundermann said. “Bringing together APIC, SHEA, and our infection prevention roots is how healthcare [epidemiology] will continue to progress.”