She also co-directs the Masters of Science in Public Health Microbiology and Emerging Infectious Diseases program. Dr. Castel completed medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, her residency in general pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and a masters of public health at Johns Hopkins University. Following her residency, she was a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer where she was assigned to the Communicable Disease Control Program at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. After EIS, she went on to complete her residency in General Preventive Medicine at the CDC National Center for Health Statistics.