About:
The Mathematical Modeling Journal Club, hosted by the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics (CCDD) at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, guides participants through a review of articles in order to learn more about mathematical modeling approaches, understand how authors reached their conclusions, and determine the study’s relevance in informing practice and research. The journal club assesses intermediate and advanced infectious disease modeling methods to inform public health responses. Feedback from the journal club participants is used to gauge interest in mathematical modeling methods to be prioritized in intermediate and advanced training programs. The Mathematical Modeling Journal Club has been funded (in part) by contract 200-2016-91779 with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Target participants:
This journal club is intended for public health professionals and researchers interested in using mathematical modeling to inform public policy. Participants include postdocs and faculty from CCDD, as well as other universities and public health departments from the US and globally. Members of the journal club will participate by regular club attendance, reviewing articles in advance, contributing to group discussion, and providing feedback.
The Mathematical Modeling Journal Club met during Winter 2023 – Spring 2024 and is not currently active. Below is a list of past articles and recordings where available.
| Date |
Presenter |
Article |
Recording |
| 05/15/2024 |
Debra Ukamaka Okeh, PhD Candidate, Specialist, Community Health Physician at the Department of Community Medicine in Federal Medical Centre Umuahia |
Duffy & Collins 2022, A mathematical model for the dynamics and control of malaria in Nigeria. |
D. Okey presents Duffy & Collins |
| 04/17/2024 |
Ofwete Robert, BVM, MSc., Technical Advisor-NTDS, AMREF |
Abdullahi et al. 2021, Control of snakebite envenoming: A mathematical modeling study. |
O. Robert presents Abdullahi et al. |
| 03/20/2024 |
Sharon K. Greene, PhD, MPH, Epidemiology and Analysis Team Lead, Bureau of Communicable Disease, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene |
Varma et al. 2021, 5 Skills Public Health Officials Need to Combat the Next Pandemic. |
S. Greene presents Varma et al. |
| 02/21/2024 |
Victor N. Haimbala, MSc, PhD Candidate, National Autonomous University of Mexico |
Cilloni et al. 2020, Trade-offs between cost and accuracy in active case finding for tuberculosis: A dynamic modelling analysis. |
V.N. Haimbala presents Cilloni et al. |
| 01/17/2024 |
Sungmok Jung, MPH, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill |
Gozzi et al. 2022, Estimating the impact of COVID-19 vaccine inequities: a modeling study. |
S. Jung presents Gozzi et al. |
| 12/13/2023 |
Olivier Nsekuye, Epidemiology Specialist, Rwanda Biomedical Center/Public Health Surveillance |
Meltzer et al. 2016, Modeling in Real Time During the Ebola Response |
O. Nsekuye presents Meltzer et al. |
| 11/15/2023 |
Ensheng Dong, PhD Student, Infectious Disease Dynamics at Johns Hopkins University |
Pierri et al. 2022, Online misinformation is linked to early COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and refusal |
E. Dong presents Pierri et al. |
| 10/18/2023 |
Katherine Jia, PhD Candidate, CCDD |
Engebretsen et al. 2022, A compelling demonstration of why traditional statistical regression models cannot be used to identify risk factors from case data on infectious diseases: a simulation study |
K. Jia presents Engebretsen et. al |
| 9/20/2023 |
Abel Wilson Walekhwa, MPH, PhD, Director, Infectious diseases Epidemiology and Modeling Unit, Makerere University |
Silal et al. 2022, Epidemiological modelling for public health decision making in sub-Saharan Africa |
A.W. Walekhwa presents Silal et. al. |
| 05/17/2023 |
Xinyi Hua, PhD, Georgia Southern University |
McVernon et al. 2007 Model answers or trivial pursuits? The role of mathematical models in influenza pandemic preparedness planning |
N/A |
| 05/03/2023 |
Mui Pham, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, CCDD |
Davies et al. 2019 Within-host dynamics shape antibiotic resistance in commensal bacteria |
N/A |
| 04/19/2023 |
QinQin Yu, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, CCDD |
Attwood et al. 2022 Phylogenetic and phylodynamic approaches to understanding and combating the early SARS-Cov-2 pandemic |
N/A |
| 04/05/2023 |
Ensheng Dong, PhD Student, Infectious Disease Dynamics at Johns Hopkins University |
Bhouri et al. 2021 COVID-19 dynamics across the US: A deep learning study of human mobility and social behavior |
N/A |
| 03/15/2023 |
Benjamin Singer, DPhil, Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford University |
D’Agostino McGowan et al. 2021 Quantifying Uncertainty in Mechanistic Models of Infectious Disease |
N/A |
| 03/01/2023 |
Zhe Zheng, PhD Student, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale University |
Yu et al. 2013 Characterization of regional influenza seasonality patterns in China and implications for vaccination strategies: spatio-temporal modeling of surveillance data |
N/A |
| 02/15/2023 |
Monina Klevens, DMD, Director, Office of Research and Evaluation, Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, Massachusetts Department of Health |
O’Reilly et al. 2020, Surveillance optimisation to detect poliovirus in the pre-eradication era: a modelling study of England and Wales |
N/A |
| 02/01/2023 |
Stephen Kissler, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Boulder |
Kretzschmar et al. 2022, Challenges for modelling interventions for future pandemics |
N/A |
| 01/18/2023 |
David L. Swerdlow, MD, Senior Fellow, CCDD |
Gambhir et al. 2015 Infectious disease modeling methods as tools for informing response to novel influenza viruses of unknown pandemic potential |
N/A |
Questions?
Contact Caroline Thomas – Research Project Coordinator, CCDD
