COVID-19 didn’t just challenge our health and economic systems—it exposed the limitations of conventional infectious disease models in supporting effective and timely decision-making. These models often neglect the complex synergistic feedback between disease epidemiology, human behavior, and economic forces. In this talk, I introduce a unified modeling framework that explicitly integrates these dimensions. This paradigm shift enables a more holistic understanding of epidemic trajectories and the consequences of policy interventions. By bridging gaps between disciplines, the approach offers a powerful foundation for guiding future interventions and pandemic preparedness--advancing the science of coupled human–natural systems.
Speaker: Prof. Calistus N. Ngonghala | Department of Mathematics | University of Florida
Chairperson: Prof. Chisara Peace Ogbogbo | Department of Mathematics | University of Ghana
Meeting ID: 363 202 434 222 0 | Passcode: hg6JM26u | Teams: Link
All are cordially invited.
Bio
Prof Calistus N. Ngonghala is a tenured Associate Professor of Mathematical Biology at the University of Florida, a Visiting Associate Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a Fellow at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute–one of the world’s most prestigious and competitive interdisciplinary fellowships. He has been serving as an Adjunct Professor for the Master of Public Health program at the EHESP in France since 2013.
Prof. Ngonghala, a former postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School and the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), is a leading figure in the development of a novel interdisciplinary field that integrates mathematical modeling with infectious disease dynamics, human behavior, socio-economic systems, and public health. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications in highly respected journals, secured multiple major research grants from the National Science Foundation and the Simons Foundation, and delivered more than 100 invited lectures across the globe. Prof. Ngonghala holds editorial roles in several scientific journals and regularly serves as a reviewer for leading journals and major funding agencies in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and South Africa.
In addition to his research accomplishments, Prof. Ngonghala is a dedicated mentor, having trained students at all academic levels across the United States, Europe, and Africa.