I am a population biologist, working at the interface between theoretical models and empirical data. My lab members and I investigate the population dynamics of infectious diseases, focusing on their epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics and control by vaccination. We approach these problems by working at the interface of theoretical models and empirical data. We are especially interested in understanding the nonlinear spatio-temporal dynamics of acute immunizing infections and how these are affected by control strategies. We are generalizing an initial and continuing focus on measles and exploring comparative dynamics of a range of pathogens, including influenza, rotavirus, RSV, Norovirus, HIV, HCV, and veterinary morbilliviruses. The lab also explores phylodynamics, in particular how pathogen phylogenies are affected by host immunity, transmission bottlenecks and epidemic dynamics at scales from individual host to the population level. Finally, we are keen on exploring ‘cross-scale’ dynamics of pathogens: from within-host dynamics to the population scale and especially the impact of human behavioral dynamics

Recent work

• Dynamics of Measles in developed and developing countries; control implications of vaccine refusal
• Spatiotemporal dynamics of Human influenza in the U.S.A.
• Linking within-host and population dynamics of human, equine and avian influenza.
• Exploring epidemiological and evolutionary implications of novel broad spectrum influenza vaccines
• Population dynamics and control of rotavirus
• Synthesizing epidemic dynamics of immunizing infections with the spatiotemporal economic dynamics of vaccination
  • New projects on the dynamics and control of HIV, Shigella, typhoid and HFMD.