Dr. James Trauer, an Associate Professor at Monash University, leads the Epidemiological Modelling Unit, which utilizes advanced digital infrastructure to aid government policy decisions regarding COVID-19 in several countries. The team, which includes software engineer David Shipman, employs open-source tools such as Summer and AuTuMN to develop models using publicly available data like case numbers and vaccination rates. Their approach, distinct from other academic institutions, involves modern software engineering practices, including the use of Buildkite, EC2, and S3 for data processing, and GitHub for configuration and deployment. The platform, initially developed for tuberculosis, has been adapted for COVID-19 and is designed to be applicable to other infectious diseases, emphasizing modularity and automated testing. Trauer highlights the importance of integrating scientific modeling with software engineering, noting the team's progress in test implementation to ensure model reliability, differing from traditional modeling groups that often lack such practices.