Abba Gumel, UMD Department of Mathematics
Mathematics of malaria transmission dynamics: the renewed quest for eradication
Abstract:
Malaria, a deadly disease caused by protozoan Plasmodium parasites, is spread between humans via the bite of infected adult female Anopheles mosquitoes. Over 2.5 billion people live in geographies whose local epidemiology permits transmission of P. falciparum, responsible for most of the life-threatening forms of malaria. The wide-scale and heavy use of insecticide-based mosquito control interventions, notably long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying), during the period 2000-2015, resulted in a significant reduction in malaria incidence and burden in endemic areas, prompting a renewed quest for malaria eradication. Numerous factors, such as Anopheles resistance to the currently-available insecticides used in mosquito control and anthropogenic climate change, potentially pose important challenges to the eradication efforts. In this talk, I will discuss a modeling framework for assessing the combined impacts of insecticide resistance and climate change on the distribution and burden of malaria mosquitoes and disease. Specifically, questions on whether malaria eradication can be achieved using existing insecticide-based control resources will be addressed. If time permits, I may briefly discuss the potential of some of the gene drive-based biological interventions being proposed as a plausible alternative pathway for achieving the malaria eradication objective.
Speaker: Abba Gumel, University of Maryland Department of Mathematics
I am The Michael and Eugenia Brin Endowed E-Nnovate Chair at the Department of Mathematics, University of Maryland. As a mathematical biologist, I design, analyze, and parameterize realistic mathematical models, typically of the form of deterministic systems of nonlinear differential equations, for studying the transmission dynamics and control of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases of major public health significance. I have authored or co-authored over 170 peer-reviewed research articles, supervised many graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior researchers here in the United States and from around the world. I am the Editor-in-Chief of Mathematical Biosciences, one of the premier journals for mathematical biology research. Awards and honors include: winning the 2021 Bellman Prize, elected Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Mathematical Society (AMS), Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), African Academy of Science (AAS), Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS), African Scientific Institute (ASI), winning the Arthur Beaumont Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Applied and Industrial Mathematics Society (CAIMS) and presenting the 2021 Einstein Public Lecture of the AMS.
Host: Arpita Upadhyaya
Seminars start at 4:00 pm, and refreshments will be served at 3:45 pm. All seminars are held in the Conference Room (1116) of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology (IPST) Building (Bldg #085) unless otherwise noted.