Dr. Olivia (Prosper) Feldman, University of Tennessee

Mathematical Insights at Different Biological Scales

Malaria remains a major global health challenge, driven by the complex interactions between parasites, their human and mosquito hosts, and the environments they inhabit. Since the pioneering work of Sir Ronald Ross and George Macdonald in the early to mid-20th century, mathematical modeling has provided invaluable insights into malaria transmission, from within-host parasite dynamics to population-level epidemiology. More recently, research has focused on how these scales interact, shaping transmission patterns and informing control strategies.

In this talk, I will introduce an individual-based model that integrates within-mosquito and within-human parasite dynamics with population-level transmission. This model also tracks the genetic signatures of parasites, offering insights into how genetic diversity emerges, spreads, and interacts with human immunity and antimalarial treatment. By bridging multiple scales, this approach aims to deepen our understanding of malaria transmission and inform more effective intervention strategies.

Citation: Feldman is an extraordinary researcher. She is an expert in mathematical modeling and has considered topics such as parasite-borne infection and population dynamics, with many of her projects being related to interventions and strategies for controlling outbreaks and understanding societal and economic impacts of emerging diseases. Additionally, Feldman develops methods for improved selection of model parameters and model-based design of experimental data collection. In the span of 2020 to 2024, she published 14 peer reviewed articles and wrote three preprints. Several of these works resulted from the American Institute of Mathematics Structured Quartet research ensemble (AIM SQuaRE). Feldman’s ability to collaborate, and in particular her ability to bring people together for research, is notable. In 2021, Feldman was an organizer for an American Mathematical Society Mathematical Research Community which brings advanced graduate students, postdocs, and early career faculty together to work on projects in the research areas of the organizers.