Susan Peters, DVM, MPH

Susan Peters, DVM, MPH profile photo

Assistant Professor

Dr. Peters is an assistant professor in the Master of Public Health program at Michigan State University. She has 19 years of applied state and local public health experience, including 15 years at Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and 4 years at the Barry-Eaton District Health Department (BEDHD). Most recently, she served as the waterborne disease epidemiologist for the MDHHS. In this capacity, Dr. Peters conducted statewide surveillance for waterborne infectious diseases and harmful algal bloom-related illnesses, along with engagement and coordination with partner agencies and organizations involved in water quality and recreational water issues. She also coordinated and managed Michigan’s wastewater monitoring system, which tested the wastewater of 420 Michigan sites for a variety of infectious pathogens. Previously, she was the health analyst for the Barry-Eaton District Health Department, providing data analysis, interpretation, and scientific support to the department and community coalitions, and the MDHHS influenza surveillance epidemiologist, coordinating statewide influenza surveillance, conducting epidemiologic investigations for a variety of respiratory and zoonotic pathogens, and providing technical support for the Michigan Disease Surveillance System.

Select Publications

Louis S, Mark-Carew M, Biggerstaff M, et al (Peters S). Wastewater Surveillance for Influenza A Virus and H5 Subtype Concurrent with the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Outbreak in Cattle and Poultry and Associated Human Cases — United States, May 12–July 13, 2024. MMWR. 2024 Sept 19;73(37):804-9.

D'Souza N, Porter AM, Rose JB, et al (Peters S). Public Health Use and Lessons Learned from a Statewide SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Monitoring Program (MiNET). Heliyon. 2024 Aug 30;10(16) e35790.

Gu Y, DeDoncker E, VanEnk R, et al (Peters S). Accuracy of State-Level Surveillance during Emerging Outbreaks of Respiratory Viruses: A Model-Based Assessment. Med Decis Making. 2021 Nov;41(8):1004-1016. Epub 2021 Jul 16.

Jhung MA, Epperson S, Biggerstaff M, Allen D, Balish A, et al (Peters S). Outbreak of variant influenza A(H3N2) virus in the United States. Clin Infect Dis. 2013 Dec;57(12):1703-12. Epub 2013 Sep 24.

Regan J, Fowlkes A, Biggerstaff M, Jhung MA, 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Fatal Case Series Investigation Team (Peters S), et al. Epidemiology of influenza A (H1N1)pdm09-associated deaths in the United States, September–October 2009. Influenza Other Resp Viruses. 2012 Nov;6(6):e169-77. Epub 2012 Jul 16.

Wilczynski JA, Ives R, Peters S, Henderson T, House J, et al. Outbreak of Cryptosporidiosis Associated with a Firefighting Response, Indiana and Michigan, June 2011. MMWR. 2012 Mar 9:61(9):153-6.

Fowlkes AL, Arguin P, Biggerstaff MS, Gindler J, Blau D, et al (Peters S). Epidemiology of 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Deaths in the United States, April-July 2009. Clin Infect Dis. 2011 52: S60-S68.

Research Projects

  • Infectious Disease and Environmental Health Epidemiology
  • One Health Topics
  • Data Analysis and Presentation