SMB Epi-PDEE Mini-Conference

Folashade Agusto, University of Kansas

Double whammy: Exploring the effects of prescribed fire and rising temperature on tick-borne diseases
In recent times tick ranges have been expanding due in part to rising temperatures as consequence of climate change, thereby increasing the risks and prevalence of tick-borne illnesses across the country. Thus, it is vital to find practical ways of managing tick populations. Prescribed fires are common form of land management practices; it is time and cost-efficient when applied across large amounts of land. In this seminar, I investigate the effects of prescribed fire intensity and the duration between burns on the prevalence of tick-borne illnesses as temperature rises. Using stage-structured tick-host models with impulsive differential equations our results indicate that prescribed fire intensity has a larger impact in reducing disease prevalence than frequency between burns. Exploring the use of prescribed burns in preventing the establishment of ticks in new areas shows that fewer burns are ineffective at preventing their establishment because ticks can recover relatively quickly following a burn but frequent, long-term prescribed burns can slow and possibly prevent their establishment.

Benito Chen-Charpentier, University of Texas, Arlington

Sensitivity analysis and its application to models in Mathematical Biology
Most models in Mathematical Biology depend on parameters. Usually these parameters are not easy to determine accurately. The also have variations due to the variability in the biological objects been studied. It is very important to determine how much the solutions of a mathematical model of a biological process change due to changes in the values of the parameters. One way is to use sensitivity analysis. That is to estimate how much the solution varies with changes in the parameters. There are two types of sensitivity analysis: local and global. In this talk we explore the use of local and different versions of global sensitivity analysis as applied to a model in Mathematical Biology.

Brandon Ogbunu, Yale University

Title: Proteins and Words, Needles and Birds: Disease dynamics in ecological and evolutionary context
In this presentation, I offer presentations covering two areas of my research program: (i) the molecular evolution of disease and (ii) the ecology of disease transmission. Topics range from the evolution of antimicrobial resistance, to diseases spread in populations of people who inject drugs, and waterfowl as vectors for bacterial pathogens.

Luis Fernando Chaves, Indiana University Bloomington

Opportunities at the Interface of Mathematical Epi and PDEE Panelist

Zhilan Feng, Purdue University and NSF

Opportunities at the Interface of Mathematical Epi and PDEE Panelist

Virginia Pasour, Army Research Office

Opportunities at the Interface of Mathematical Epi and PDEE Panelist

Jorge X. Velasco Hernández, Instituto de Matematicas UNAM-Juriquilla

Opportunities at the Interface of Mathematical Epi and PDEE Panelist