APPLIED MATH and STATISTICS
The Applied Math and Statistic team focus on developing mathematical, computational, and statistical tools to study the behavior of epidemics. Some of the interests are investigating ways to calibrate models such as network or agent-based models and use machine learning to develop early warning tools in epidemiology.
Professor, Instituto de Investigaciones en Energía No Convencional (INENCO)
Universidad Nacional de Salta, Argentina
Professor, Department of Mathematics
University of California (UCLA), USA
Professor of Mathematical Biology
Arizona State University, USA
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
Professor and Chair, Department of Population Health Sciences
Georgia State University, USA
Carlos Hernández, Ph.D.
Professor, Facultad de Ciencias
Universidad de Colima, México
Professor, Department of Mathematics
University of Texas at Arlington, USA
Department of Public Health Sciences
University of California at Davis, USA
EPIDEMIOLOGY
EpiMEC works in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Costa Rica, which is the institution in charge of directing and supervising the social actors involved in the protection and improvement of the physical, mental, and social health of the population.
One of its functions is to monitor the behavior of diseases in the country, particularly those with epidemic potential and those with risk factors that can intervene to prevent and even eliminate them, given their impact on public health.
VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES
A crucial element in modeling vector-borne diseases (VBD) is the interdisciplinary work required to provide an accurate and simplified mathematical representation of a complex system that involves the ecology of the vector and the pathogen. The joint work with experts in the School of Microbiology at the University of Costa Rica gives a better understanding of the behavior and dynamics of VBD in Costa Rica.
Professor, Section of Medical Entomology
Department of Parasitology
School of Microbiology
Researcher, Vector Research Laboratory (LIVE), Tropical Diseases Research Center (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR).
Eugenia Corrales Aguilar, Ph.D.
Professor, Section of Medical Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
School of Microbiology
Researcher, Diseases Research Center (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR)
HEALTH SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
Health social determinants are conditions in the environment in which people are born, live, learn, work, and play, that affect a wide range of health outcomes. The collaboration with the State of the Union Program (Programa del Estado de la Nación, PEN) provides data of a variety of social, economic, and demographic variables necessary in the modeling process.
Jorge Vargas Cullell, Ph.D.
Director, Programa Estado de la Nación (PEN)
Steffan Gómez Campos, MSc.
Principal Investigator of Data Science and Visualization, Programa Estado de la Nación (PEN)
Natalia Morales Aguilar, MA.
Statistics Coordinator, Programa Estado de la Nación (PEN))
CLIMATE
Climate is a key determinant in shaping the distribution, seasonality, and incidence of vector-borne diseases. Therefore, in a country with a diversity of micro-climates, understanding the effects of climate variability in the transmission dynamics of vector-borne diseases is crucial. The collaboration with national experts from the Geophysical Research Center of the University of Costa Rica (CIGEFI-UCR) and international experts of the London School of Hygiene in Tropical Medicine provides data and expertise crucial for the development of predictive models in order to help guide public health interventions in Cost Rica.
Hugo Hidalgo León, Ph.D.
Director of the Geophysical Research Center (CIGEFI)
Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR)
Associate Professor
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
STAFF
María Luisa González Campos
Administrative support for the formulation of research projects, and grants
Centro de Investigación en Matemática Pura y Aplicada (CIMPA)
Universidad de Costa Rica