Novel data science approaches are needed to confront the large-scale infectious disease epidemic such as COVID-19, HIV, African Swine Flu, and Ebola, because of the ever-increasing human mobility both locally and across the borders. Luckily, we are equipped with richer data and more advanced data analytics methodologies. This workshop reports the latest interdisciplinary research on developing novel data science and artificial intelligence methodologies to capitalize on the rich “big data” of human mobility, contact tracing, imaging, virology, bioinformatics, clinical, etc. to confront infectious diseases, with a particular focus on combating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As compared to conventional epidemiological models, articles in this issue present the innovative data science approaches that were not possible without the recent advances in information and communications technology. Speakers are solicited from the contributors of a Theme Issue “Data Science Approach to Infectious Diseases Surveillance” that is upcoming in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A.