Welcome to the August newsletter! We hope those who have taken holidays have enjoyed some time to relax, and those who have yet to take holidays will have a chance soon!

Please contact info@ammnet.org if you would like to contribute any items to next month’s newsletter!

Contents:

1. Special announcements
2. Jobs and grant opportunities 
3. Workshops and conferences 
4. Courses and learning opportunities
5. Working group announcements
6. Seminar recap and recordings
7. Board meeting summary and committee announcements

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1. Special announcements

AMMnet Monthly Seminar: September 5
Join us for an exciting seminar where two AMMnet members will discuss their latest research.

• Carmène Sandra Ngadjeu, MSc, PhD Candidate, Medical Entomologist, Parasitology and Ecology, University of Yaoundé, Malaria Research Laboratory, OCEAC, Association between house characteristics and community practices on anophelines distribution and malaria prevalence before and during a larviciding program in the city of Yaoundé-Cameroon.

• Getachew Teshome Tilahun, PhD, Associate Professor, Computational Mathematics, Haramaya University, Modelling the Impact of Temperature Variability on Malaria Epidemics with Optimal Control and Cost Effective Analysis using data collected from Ethiopia

• Laurette Mhlanga, PhD, Northwestern University, will introduce herself and her work as our “meet the modeler.”

• Date: September 5
• Time: 15:00 UTC

Save the Date! AMMnet Africa Meeting – Kigali, Rwanda April 18-19, 2024
AMMnet is organising an in-person event in Kigali, Rwanda. The event will include a mix of talks, discussions and training on various aspects of malaria modelling. 

Interested in participating in a training or hosting one?

If you are interested in participating in the event or hosting a training session, please let us know and fill out this survey using the link in English / French / Portuguese. We would like to have your survey answers by Monday, August 21, so we may begin planning.

Limited funding awards will be available for travelling and training.

Additional information and registration form will follow.

Please consider that The Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM Conference) will happen in Kigali, Rwanda from 21st to 27th April, immediately after the AMMnet event, so you can attend both events saving travelling costs.

AMMnet Francophone is hosting a seminar series to begin August 24!
Exploring how mathematical modeling guides the fight against malaria.
Join us for an exciting series of webinars as we explore the application of mathematical modeling in the fight against malaria. Discover how advanced mathematical methods can help us better understand malaria transmission dynamics, predict, and design more effective control strategies. Experts in the field will present relevant models and share evidence, while discussing the challenges and opportunities of using mathematics to combat this deadly disease.

Take part in this series of informative and inspiring webinars designed to raise awareness and mobilize the community in the fight against malaria.

You may register for the webinar event at the link here. 

Please note that the presentations will be in French language only. 

Invitation to AMMnet Pre-ASTMH Modelers Meeting October 17
You should have received an email from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Events Team inviting each member of the AMMnet community to attend the 2023 AMMnet Meeting on October 17, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. If you did not receive your invitation, please contact info@ammnet.org and we will ensure you get one.

Join our social community!
If you are actively on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and/or LinkedIn, you can find AMMnet there using the links below. Help us spread news and information about our modeling community.       

Join the AMMnet Slack workspace
If you haven’t joined the AMMnet slack workspace, join here! Many announcements, including job opportunities and upcoming events, are posted first on the Slack. This is also a great place to connect directly with other modelers!

2. Jobs and grant opportunities

Senior Program Officer position on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Malaria Program Strategy Team, working on Malaria Delivery Quality, Data, and Platforms
The role will focus on three main areas – all in support of malaria eradication strategy.

1. Advancing the use of digital platforms and technologies for improving delivery effectiveness (e.g., digitally validating bed net distribution)
2. Improving the quality and timeliness of malaria case data (e.g., via adoption of techniques like digitization of diagnostic results) 
3. Advancing the use of mathematical modeling for better decision making (both epidemiological and economic) in malaria endemic countries

BMGF are aiming to hire someone with deep interest and background in technology, professional and lived experience in LMIC settings, a track record in the use of platform approach and systems thinking in driving digital transformations at scale, a strategic and analytical mindset to help advance the use of data and modeling for better decision making. 

More details are available here.

Senior Malaria Researcher role at GiveWell
GiveWell’s first Senior Malaria Researcher will be responsible for strengthening the quality of the research and cost-effectiveness modeling guiding GiveWell’s large portfolio of investments in malaria interventions.

In 2022, GiveWell recommended around $150M in investments aimed at preventing deaths from malaria, including funding for distribution of insecticide treated nets, seasonal and perennial chemoprevention, and malaria vaccines. In the coming years, we expect our recommended giving to continue to grow in dollar amounts and supported interventions.

GiveWell’s funding decisions are made by a small team of generalists. As the malaria subject-matter expert within this small team, you will be a significant contributor to our decisions about how hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent with the goal of saving and improving the lives of people living in the lowest-income communities in the world. We expect you to help address holistic questions about GiveWell’s portfolio of investments overall as well as more detailed questions about specific giving opportunities.

Navigate to the link here to find out more information about GiveWell and the role.

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships at York University, Toronto, Canada: Three open Postdoctoral Research Fellowship positions that can begin as early as June 1, 2023 
Looking for applicants with strong research skills and experience in one of the three thematic areas: 

• Artificial Intelligence for Infectious Disease Prediction, Geospatial Analysis and Risk map assessment, GIS AI
• The STI impacts of one-health mathematical modelling approach to Mpox and (re)emerging zoonotic threats
• Clinical public health infectious epidemiology and modelling

This research is chaired by Woldegebriel Assefa Woldegerima and is sponsored by a research grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). The successful candidates will have the opportunity to be co-supervised by Sarah Flicker, Ali Asgary, Jianhong Wu, Jude Kong, James Orbinski and Nicola Bragazzi.

For more information and to apply, visit the link here. 

UCLA Postdoctoral Fellowship Position Available
We invite applications for a 3-year postdoctoral research fellowship in Professor Blower’s research group in the Biomedical Modeling Center at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. 

Applicants must have a doctorate in spatial statistics, health geographics, theoretical ecology, operations research, geospatial modeling or a closely related field. We welcome applications from individuals who have worked on diseases that have important geospatial components: e.g., influenza, malaria, Ebola, Tuberculosis and cholera. Previous experience in modeling HIV is not necessary.

We are looking for an individual who is interested in working with a team of researchers at UCLA, Columbia University, and Partners in Health in Malawi (Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo) on an NIH-funded grant focused on using data-intensive geospatial and geostatistical models to design optimal strategies that will ensure equity in access to HIV treatment in sub-Saharan Africa. Equitable strategies will be based on gender, wealth, and the urban-rural divide. The successful applicant will focus on geostatistical analysis, geospatial modeling, and spatial optimization, of spatially-explicit treatment data, population-level georeferenced linked HIV-testing and behavioral data, and mobility/migration/travel data. The projects will involve travel to Malawi; two, two-week trips a year. The rest of the time the fellow will be based at UCLA, Los Angeles, US. The successful applicant will have excellent programming, verbal, and writing skills.

To apply for this position please contact Professor Sally Blower at sally.blower@gmail.com. Applicants should send a cover letter, a detailed CV, a brief statement of research interests, and the names (and email addresses) of three references. The cover letter should also include the possible starting date. Review of applications will start immediately and will continue until the post has been filled.

Regional AMMnet Event Grant
AMMnet would like to encourage the growth of regional AMMnet chapters and is looking to support small regional in-person AMMnet events such as meetings, conferences, or workshops. AMMnet will fund up to 10 regional events annually, each with a budget range of $500 to $3,000. 

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and in English, French, or Portuguese. More information and application instructions are available here: English, French, Portuguese.

3. Workshops, webinars and conferences

Explore the crucial role of genomic data in tackling antimicrobial resistance | 2024 Scientific Conference
Registration for the 2024 conference focusing on Antimicrobial Resistance – Genomes, Big Data and Emerging Technologies (13-15 March 2024) opens soon!

Bringing together researchers, clinicians, computer scientists, and policymakers working in pathogen genomics, epidemiology, surveillance, and machine learning, to discuss the recent advances and current challenges shaping the field.

Discussion will cover a variety of topics, including:

• Genomic surveillance of priority pathogens
• Global public health pathogen genomics infrastructure
• Translation and implication of genomics for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) control
• Wastewater surveillance
• AI, machine learning, and big data tools
• Measuring the burden of AMR

Emphasis will be placed on demonstrating how findings from genomics studies can be implemented into clinical practice and policy, to control AMR.

This conference is an excellent platform to connect with experts, access exclusive talks, and present your own research on a global platform.

Navigate to the website here for more information and key dates. 

4. Courses and Learning Opportunities

Infectious Disease Modelling Specialization from Imperial College
Mathematical modelling is increasingly being used to support public health decision-making in the control of infectious diseases. This specialisation aims to introduce some fundamental concepts of mathematical modelling with all modelling conducted in the programming language R – a widely used application today. 

The specialisation will suit you if you have a basic working knowledge of R, but would also like to learn the necessary basic coding skills to write simple mathematical models in this language. While no advanced mathematical skills are required, you should be familiar with ordinary differential equations, and how to interpret them. You’ll receive clear instruction in the basic theory of  infectious  disease  modelling alongside practical, hands-on experience  of  coding  models  in  the programming  language  R. 

• 3 course series
• Intermediate level
• No previous experience necessary
• 1 months at 10 hours a week
• Flexible schedule
• Learn at your own pace

What you’ll learn

• Construct valid mathematical models capturing the natural history of a given infectious disease. 
• Implement a mathematical model in R, calibrating it against epidemiological data in order to estimate key model parameters  
• Use a calibrated model to create model projections for different intervention scenarios  
• Explain the strengths and limitations of a mathematical model in relation to given research and policy questions 

Available in English

Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese (European), Russian, Spanish

Free enrollment. Find more information here. 

Introduction to Mathematical Models of the Epidemiology & Control of Infectious Diseases: An interactive short course for professionals
11th – 22nd September 2023

Taught by leading researchers who advise policy-makers internationally. Topics include HIV, TB, malaria, Ebola, COVID-19, health economics, vaccination programmes, stochastic models & more.

Free Maths and Excel Refresher Day: 10th September 2023

Cost: £2500

Applications for 2023 are now open! Find more information here.

5. Working group announcements

No working group announcements this month.

6. Seminar recap and recordings

Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention Monitoring & Evaluation Webinar: Modeling SMC in the context of national malaria strategic planning and Global Fund applications was held on July 25 and co-hosted by the SMC Alliance Monitoring & Evaluation subgroup and AMMnet.

Speakers discussed how national malaria control programs (NMCPs) approach SMC during their subnational intervention planning process, national malaria strategic plan development, and resource mobilization plans from the Global Fund and others. Mathematical modeling is increasingly being used to inform these discussions, including providing impact estimates of adding cycles, expanding the eligible age range, and expanding to new districts.

If you’d like to watch the English or French recordings, you may find them at the relevant language link.

7. Board and committee announcements

AMMnet board

The Board met on August 15, 2023.

Present: Emmanuel Bakare, Luc Djogbenou, Cherlynn Dumbura, Jaline Gerardin, Justin Millar, Antonio Christophe Nkondjio, Emilie Pothin, Susan Rumisha, Manuela Runge

Absent: Hannah Slater, Caitlin Bever

Present (Secretariat): Ida Sagbo, Shannon Stanfill

Agenda:

• Welcome new board members Antonio and Susan!
  • Introductions
• Terms of Reference:
  • BOARD VOTE: Vote to amend Terms of Reference to include 2/3 attendance criteria for Governance and Finance Committees – Voted Yea: accept this revision to Terms of Reference
    • Attendance criteria. The expectation is that Committee members attend all Committee meetings. The minimum attendance requirement is 2/3 of meetings over a 1-year period. Committee members are expected to have a reasonable reason for missing a meeting and to provide adequate notice. If a meeting is missed, the Committee member is expected to catch up by reading meeting minutes. If a Committee member consistently is unable to attend Committee meetings, they may be subject to removal from the Committee, pending 2/3 vote of the Board.
  • Emmanuel will look into what other boards do, and report back to the AMMnet board at the Oct meeting. Then we will discuss and consider whether we want to revise our ToR attendance criteria of ⅔ attendance.
  • Chat vote: Voted to clarify Terms of Reference attendance criteria in all sections to be for 1 year that ⅔ attendance is ⅔ of meetings in a 1-year period (or similar).
• Governance Committee
  • Hannah to step down
  • BOARD VOTE: Vote to include Antonio Christophe Nkondjio on the Governance Committee – Voted Yea: Antonio to join Governance Committee
  • BOARD VOTE: Vote to include Susan Rumisha on the Governance Committee – Voted Yea: Susan to join Governance Committee
  • At next GovCom meeting Sept 15: Advisory Board brainstorming and discussion
• In person Board meeting Oct 17
  • either at end of meeting (5:30-7pm) or schedule for Wed Oct 18, in morning
  • Will do an informal gathering for those in Chicago in person, in lieu of board meeting
  • Board meeting rescheduled for Oct 31, 10 am US Central Time (same time as usual)
• Board member page for website
  • Ida working on this. Need bios from Emmanuel, Caitlin, Justin, Emilie
  • Bio is 70 word limit
• Diversifying Funding: identifying additional funding sources
  • Create a task force to lead effort
  • Nominate a chair
  • Oversight committee
  • Antonio willing to contribute to writing
  • Timing: target board meeting in December for delivering an update and potential funding sources, Susan Rumisha to lead process of identifying potential funding options
    • If others have ideas, send an email, Whatsapp, Slack on general channel, or direct message to Susan on Slack
• Update on 2024 Africa meeting
  • Dates: Kigali, Rwanda 18th-19th April 2024 – timed to be held immediately before the 8th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) conference (21st – 27th April 2024)
    • Gauging interest in training leads, needs
    • Encourage AMMnet and board to help lead a training
    • Survey will be included in newsletter
    • Survey reminder will be sent
    • Jaline will send Emilie Oct 17 meeting program in case topics helpful
    • Current program: 3-4 sessions in afternoon, about 3 hours, around 6-8 training groups, multiple training proposals from the same source are ok, parallel sessions, there will be a call for training proposals
• Objectives Committees ToR implementation updates
  • Official committee membership (by Sept 15)
  • Statement of Purpose (by Oct 15)
  • Identify and form task forces; approve TF statements of purpose
  • Connecting
  • Learning
    • Emilie to step down due to other commitments
    • Need to fill role of committee chair, at the least need a board member to interim chair until a someone is identified
      • Emilie to reach out to those who have been actively participating on learning committee to gauge interest in leading this committee (Punam?)
  • Career Dev
  • Best Practices
    • received 6 applications for the 5 open positions
    • proposed approach to invite all of them to 1st new committee meeting (if agreed by current  committee members ?)
    • 1st new committee meeting to be scheduled late August/early September