Hannah Van Wyk will present her talk: Using a hidden markov model to pinpoint the date of the primary case in a dengue outbreak in rural Ecuador.

An infectious disease outbreak investigation typically consists of retrospectively determining information regarding the outbreak such as the timing of the primary case (the first case of the outbreak, whether detected or not) and transmission dynamics that occurred prior to the outbreak. However, information on the primary case is often hard to obtain, especially in scenarios where the disease has a high asymptomatic ratio. Using a hidden Markov model, we estimate the most likely date of the primary case of a dengue outbreak in a small community in northern coastal Ecuador.

Bio:
Hannah is a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology. Her research involves using mathematical models of infectious diseases to understand transmission dynamics. She has a background in mathematics and computer science at her undergraduate institution and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology.

Musawer Ahmad Saqif will present his talk: Fracture and Collapse Simulation of UHPC Structures.

This presentation delves into the advanced simulation techniques for understanding the fracture and collapse behaviors of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) structures. Leveraging finite element modeling and experimental validation, the study elucidates the critical mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of UHPC under various conditions. Through a detailed investigation of microstructural characteristics and their impact on macroscopic performance, the research provides valuable insights into optimizing the design and resilience of UHPC structures against extreme loading scenarios. The findings contribute significantly to the field of civil engineering by enhancing the predictive capabilities for the structural integrity and durability of UHPC infrastructures.

Bio:
M. A. Saqif is a fifth year PhD student in Civil Engineering and Scientific Computing at the Computational Structural Simulation Lab. His research interest lies in fracture and collapse simulation of concrete structures.

The MICDE PhD Student Seminar Series showcases the research of students in the Ph.D. in Scientific Computing. These events are open to the public.

If you have any questions, please email micde-events@umich.edu.