Mathematical Biology Seminar

Speaker: Dr. Omar Saucedo, Virgina Tech

Title: Human mobility and its impact on infectious disease dynamics

Abstract: Throughout our daily lives, we establish connections with other individuals either by visiting a grocery store, attending a local social gathering, or meeting with family and friends. We can view these interactions as a person’s general social network. Certain events such as a natural disaster or an outbreak can disrupt these networks by either reducing the number of connections or disconnecting certain connections. As observed in the recent pandemic, the localities that enacted strong health measures with regard to minimizing social interactions helped reduce the transmission of the disease. In this presentation, we will present analytical tools and methodology to help discern how human mobility and regional attributes combine to impact disease dynamics. Additionally, we will examine how changes in the network structure can impact the spread of an infectious disease.