[bioundgrd] UROP Opportunity for Biology Students

[MacKenzie Outlund]

> Project Title:  Spatial patterns in epidemic outbreaks on networks ­ A Martin
> Family Fellowship UROP
>  
> Department/Lab/Center: MIT Energy Initiative/LFEE
>  
> Faculty Supervisor: George Verghese, Electrical Engineering and Computer
> Science
>  
> 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!
>  
> 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.
>  
> 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 at mit.edu. Fall UROP funding is provided by the Martin Family
> UROP Program (see http://lfee.mit.edu/metadot/index.pl?iid=4233 for more
> information).
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
> 


------ End of Forwarded Message

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/bioundgrd/attachments/20070917/1b493add/attachment.htm