Sattenspiel is known for her research into infectious diseases, their ecology, transmission, and effect on human populations. She has worked on the Spanish flu, influenza and measles in Canada, and epidemics in the Four Corners region of Arizona. Her early work modeled age structure of populations and the impact on spread of diseases. She has examined the transmission of diseases including HIV, measles, and influenza. Her research includes investigations into the impact of quarantines and vaccination strategies. In Newfoundland, she researched connections between absenteeism in schools and epidemics, and how social interactions impact the spread of infectious diseases. More recently, she has applied her past work on the Spanish flu to interpret the patterns from the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Missouri.
