News/Activities

Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases 2019 Date: 6 - 17 May 2019 Course fee: ZAR 5000 The Department of Statistical Sciences will be hosting a two week short course on the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases. With increases in computing power and renewed efforts in the global fight against  diseases like malaria, dengue and TB, mathematical modelling is fast becoming a tool to guide public health policy. This short course will focus on the application of mathematical modelling and computer simulation to predict the dynamics of infectious diseases to evaluate the potential impact of policy in reducing morbidity and mortality. Topics covered include compartmental models, spatial models, introduction to agent based models, economic evaluation methods and more. The course is practically focused along with a series of lectures and guest seminars. This course is aimed at postgraduate students in Science and Health Sciences faculties and health-based researchers interested in the field of mathematical modelling for infectious diseases and public health policy. Date: 6 - 17 May 2019 (excluding weekends) Time: 9am to 4pm Venue: University of Cape Town Course fee: ZAR 5000 Note: UCT Students wishing to attend this course in lieu of a Masters Module will need to register for STA5066Z  offered by the Department of Statistical Sciences. Please indicate this on the application form. The course fee covers registration and lunch only. Accommodation and other meals will be for the participant's account. Funding: Course participants may qualify for funding through the Teaching Development Grant National Collaborative Project. Please consult the website www.up.ac.za/ntdg  for the funding application form. Requirements: Attendees are required to have previous ...
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Malaria is a serious tropical disease that causes thousands of deaths every year, yet it is both treatable and preventable. Many countries are currently in the process of trying to rid themselves of this deadly disease. Cambodia is one such country, and Pengby Ngor, a young Cambodian scientist and a member of TDMODNET is at the forefront of this work. He works for the Cambodian National Malaria Center (CNM), based in Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh. His smartphone app can allow health facility staff and VMWs to send malaria data to the national program in real time. The smartphone app and the VMW scheme are exactly the kinds of novel approaches to community health that are needed to assist Cambodian scientists and health workers in monitoring outbreaks of malaria, information which is essential if the country is to successfully eliminate the disease. Read more: https://scienterrificgroup.com/2018/12/29/using-smartphone-technology-to-fight-malaria/ ...
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Credit: istock Data re-use can generate new insights that in turn lead to vital health benefits. To stimulate and celebrate the innovative re-use of data, today we’re launching the Wellcome Data Re-use Prizes. Wellcome is fully committed to ensuring that research outputs are made available to accelerate health benefits. This means that the researchers we support must maximise the availability of their data and other outputs with as few restrictions as possible. Making data available in a timely and responsible way ensures other researchers can verify it, build on it and use it to advance knowledge and make health improvements. But we don’t want to encourage data sharing for its own sake – we want the data that is shared by our researchers to be re-used by others to generate new insights and tools. That’s why we’re launching the Wellcome Data Re-use Prizes. More detail https://wellcome.ac.uk/news/new-wellcome-data-re-use-prizes-help-unlock-value-research ...
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Salary £37,904 – £45,547 Duration 12 months in the first instance Location St Mary’s Campus, Paddington Closing date 9 December 2018 Reference MED00874 We seek a mathematical modeller to develop innovative models and inference methodology to improve our understanding of the spatial spread of pandemic and seasonal influenza, and to use these models to evaluate the impact of control strategies (in particular vaccination) in the short and long-term in order to inform public health policies. With the emergence of a new pandemic strain in 2009, the constant threat from cross-species emergence and the recent decision by the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to extend seasonal vaccination to school-aged children, there are few public health issues currently of greater importance than influenza transmission in terms of impact on the health of society. This project will contribute to the innovative research required to identify and rigorously evaluate optimal responses to the threat from circulating respiratory viruses. Candidates will require a PhD in one of the following areas: infectious disease epidemiology, population biology, mathematics, statistics, theoretical physics, computer science or a similarly quantitative discipline. You will also require a first degree in a scientific or mathematical discipline. You will also have postgraduate experience of developing dynamical models of biological or physical systems and of parameter estimation with such models and the ability to present information effectively at meetings, and give positive input to discussions at meetings. The full job description is online. Go to https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/ and search for "MED00874". Applications should ...
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Avoiding Ethics Dumping in Global Research - Looking for Equitable Partnerships Wednesday, 05 December 2018, 2.30pm to 4.30pm Big Data Institute, Old Road Campus, University of Oxford, OX3 7FZ. The event will take place in Seminar Room 1. If you would like to attend, please register by emailing admin@ethox.ox.ac.uk https://www.weh.ox.ac.uk/upcoming-events/avoiding-ethics-dumping-in-global-research-looking-for-equitable-partnerships ...
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With the support of our Conference Partners and Sponsors, a series of travel bursaries are available to attend the Global Health Security Conference 2019. Participants from low-income countries are encouraged to apply. To apply please submit an abstract for the GHS 2019 Conference.Criteria for selection will include the quality and relevance of the research to be presented at the GHS 2019 Conference, as evaluated from your submitted abstract. Apply for a Travel Bursary If you have already submitted your abstract and would like to submit your application for a Travel Bursary please log in to the abstract portal and add additional material to your abstract submission. For further help on this please contact our Conference Secretariatprogram@ghs2019.com The deadline for applying for a travel grant is Friday 9th November 2018. After this deadline, all received requests will be evaluated. Successful applicants will be notified on 21 December 2018. View all the Travel Bursary Application terms and conditions ...
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The WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis is offering a week-long course on Advanced Analysis of Linked Health Data. The course will be delivered by Professor David Preen the Chair in Public Health at the School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia. This course is suitable for individuals who have completed the Introductory Analysis of Linked Health Data course and who are proficient users of STATA, SPSS or SAS. Further information on the course content is available here: http://www.sph.uwa.edu.au/courses/winter-spring-summer-school/advanced-analyisis The course will run from 11-15 February 2019.  Early bird tickets are now available and places are limited so get your ticket now and secure your place!  Further information and tickets available here:https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/d7NBCk8vpKsDYENYFVZA3_?domain=eventbrite.com.au Course: Advanced Analysis of Linked Health Data Instructor: Professor David Preen, UWA Dates: 11-15 February 2019 Time: 9am – 4.30pm Location: The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne Registration: Early bird June to December 2018; full registration January to February 2019 Cost (including GST): Early bird $2890, full registration $3090 Express interest in attending and receive updates on this course here:  https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/UN_IClxwqLcWOr7OuyreHq?domain=eventbrite.com.au The introductory course is offered in Perth in November.  We’re also planning to host an introductory level course mid-next year.  Feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions and please circulate to colleagues and students and anyone else you think might be interested.  I’ve attached a flyer that you’re welcome to share or display at your workplace. AALHD Melb 2019 flyer A4 ...
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Calling all modellers and statisticians in healthcare, economics and climate change. We’re holding a workshop on communicating uncertainty on 26th-27th November in Berkshire. Do come – you’ll get looked after well! Apply here: https://t.co/x7GwYnPhtOhttps://t.co/WRU8FdCa2z (https://twitter.com/d_spiegel/status/1037649369137401856?s=09) ...
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