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<BLOCKQUOTE><FONT SIZE="4"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:13.0px'><B>Project Title: Spatial patterns in epidemic outbreaks on networks – A Martin Family Fellowship UROP<BR>
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Department</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:13.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">/Lab/Center: MIT Energy Initiative/LFEE<BR>
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</FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Arial">Faculty Supervisor: George Verghese, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science<BR>
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Brief Project Description: Many infections (biological, social and technical) spread through networks of individuals. Depending upon the structure of the underlying network, different kinds of spatial patterns of outbreak can be seen. Diseases may cluster in an area, then spread via long-term connections to a different community, or may jump quickly between the most "popular" individuals and filter to more remote regions. We'd like to initiate a characterization of these kinds of patterns via simulations of epidemic outbreaks and preliminary mathematical modeling. The project will involve learning about the fundamental elements of mathematical epidemiology, building a simulation environment in MATLAB to explore how epidemics spread over different network topologies, and developing methods for presenting and analyzing the simulation results. There will be regular meetings with both a graduate student and faculty supervisor. This is exciting and new work, and we're looking for an enthusiastic UROP student to help us make this project happen!<BR>
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Prerequisites or Requirements: We're looking for a senior student who is willing to commit to the project for a full year, possibly fulfilling a senior thesis requirement in the spring. Background in differential equations, linear algebra and linear dynamical systems required, e.g. 6.011. Must be fluent in MATLAB. 6-10 hours per week.<BR>
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Contact: If interested, please send a resume and one letter of recommendation from a previous research supervisor, preferably an MIT faculty member, to Beth Conlin, bconlin@mit.edu. Fall UROP funding is provided by the Martin Family UROP Program (see <a href="http://lfee.mit.edu/metadot/index.pl?iid=4233">http://lfee.mit.edu/metadot/index.pl?iid=4233</a> for more information).<BR>
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