Title: Mathematical and computational modeling as tools for tuberculosis elimination
Speaker: Marissa Renardy - University of Michigan
Abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) kills more people worldwide than any other single infectious agent. Elimination targets have been set forth by the WHO, but it is not yet clear whether or how these targets can be achieved. Through mathematical and computational modeling, we can better understand the epidemiology of TB and make predictions about the effectiveness of interventions. In this talk, I will present a recent study in which we utilized an age-structured PDE model to evaluate and optimize age-targeted TB vaccination strategies. I will then discuss two key problems that arose from this study: (1) parameter identifiability in age-structured models, and (2) extension to a discrete model for low-incidence settings.
