Alex Perkins
Lead Modeler
Dr. Perkins, Associate Professor, is in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame. His research applies mathematical, computational, and statistical approaches to answer basic and applied research questions about the ecology and epidemiology of infectious diseases. This work focuses primarily on mosquito-borne diseases of humans. These diseases pose a risk to billions of people, are the subject of intense development of new interventions, and are highly sensitive to numerous forms of global change. Accordingly, the goal of the research is to attain a predictive understanding of where and when these diseases occur, what the impact of interventions will be in curtailing their burden, and how the distribution of these diseases and their response to interventions will change over time as a result of changes in their underlying drivers. Through this research, his lab hopes to elevate the rigor of the information on which decision makers act, both in terms of accuracy and quantification of uncertainty.
This project is made possible thanks to Unitaid funding and support. Unitaid is a global health agency engaged in finding innovative solutions to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases more quickly, effectively, and for affordable prices, in low- and middle-income countries. Unitaid’s work includes funding initiatives to address major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as HIV co-infections and co-morbidities such as cervical cancer and hepatitis C, and cross-cutting areas, such as fever management. Unitaid is now applying its expertise to address challenges in advancing new therapies and diagnostics for the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a key member of the Access to COVID Tools Accelerator. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization.