236481 Mathematics, horror and disease: A primer

Saturday, October 29, 2011: 9:00 AM

Eric Lofgren, MSPH , Department of Epidemiology, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Washington, DC
The purpose of this presentation is the outline the use of mathematical models in public health practice. These models have a rich history of providing insight in ways not obtainable using normal observational techniques, and provide a supplement to other methods of research where observational studies might be difficult, impossible or unethical.

A high-level overview of the different basic types of epidemiological models will be provided, along with some discussion of their mathematical foundation, and some example research questions that benefit from a mathematical modeling approach will be introduced and discussed.

Learning Areas:
Basic medical science applied in public health
Epidemiology
Other professions or practice related to public health
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Public health or related research
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
1. Define what a mathematical model is. 2. Discuss the differences between a mathematical model and a statistical model. 3. Identify potential research questions that are amenable to mathematical modeling.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present the proposed topic because I have previously presented on the topic of using zombie outbreaks to teach infectious disease modeling at previous (2010) APHA conferences. I also have extensive experience with epidemiological modeling, and have extensively published on applications of popular culture to mathematical modeling.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: A gentle introduction to mathematical modeling: Lessons from the living dead
See more of: APHA-Learning Institute (APHA-LI)