Effective pandemic response requires the integration of biomedical evidence with behavioural and socio-economic insights, particularly under conditions of uncertainty and limited healthcare capacity. In practice, however, policy advice often remains fragmented across disciplines, compounded by decision-makers balancing competing objectives and incomplete information in real-time.      

This workshop builds on insights and tools developed in the UNITY project and the Horizon Europe RAPIDE project, both of which address the science-practice interface in pandemic preparedness and response. Participants will engage in a full-day, simulation-based workshop centred on a novel pathogen (“Pathogen X”), working in interdisciplinary teams, with an interactive dashboard that integrates epidemiological, healthcare capacity, behavioural, and socio-economic data . The simulation unfolds in three phases – early containment, system escalation, and long-term response, requiring participants to iteratively develop and adapt policy recommendations. Outputs from RAPIDE are used to explore healthcare capacity constraints, service continuity, and decision-making when demand exceeds available resources, while UNITY informs the integration of interdisciplinary evidence into actionable policy advice.      

Throughout the exercise, participants must balance pandemic control with societal consequences, including the disproportionate effects of interventions on groups already facing barriers to care. Dynamic scenario updates introduce challenges such as misinformation, public resistance, changing healthcare demand, and shifting epidemiological patterns. The workshop culminates in a final policy advisory and a simulated crisis communication exercise.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to integrate diverse domains of expertise into coherent policy recommendations, apply data-driven decision-making under uncertainty, and better navigate the  trade-offs between public health goals and societal and economic consequences.

Designed for researchers, policy advisors, and public health professionals, the workshop  seeks to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and enhance preparedness for complex health crises.