Title: The Hidden Architecture of Disease: How Animal Behavior Shapes Infectious Disease Transmission

Speaker: Dr. Shweta Bansal, Georgetown University

Abstract: Host social behavior represents a major gap in our understanding of infectious disease dynamics, from emergence to forecasting to elimination. In this talk, I'll use a comparative analysis across 90+ animal species to show the opportunities and constraints social networks provide for infectious disease transmission. I'll conclude with a case study of bottlenose dolphins, demonstrating how integrating social and spatial network data can predict individual disease vulnerability and optimize wildlife surveillance strategies.

Bio: Shweta Bansal is a Professor at the Department of Biology at Georgetown University. She also serves as graduate faculty in the Global Infectious Diseases PhD Program and the Biology PhD Program and is an Affiliate Faculty for the Massive Data Institute, the Global Health Institute, and Earth Commons. With a passion for interdisciplinary approaches, she has made significant contributions to mathematical epidemiology, disease ecology, network science, and public health.

Dr. Bansal earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Computer Science at Santa Clara University. She then pursued her graduate education at the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned an M.S. in Computational & Applied Mathematics and a Ph.D. in mathematical epidemiology with a focus on network modeling. Her doctoral research focused on developing innovative mathematical models and algorithms to better understand the spread and design effective control strategies for infectious diseases within populations. After completing her doctorate, Dr. Bansal became a fellow of the prestigious RAPIDD Postdoctoral Program and developed novel methods for understanding the spread of foreign animal diseases of national security concern. During this time, she also advised the Subcommittee on Foreign Animal Disease Threats of the National Science and Technology Council.

Beyond her research endeavors, Dr. Bansal is deeply committed to teaching and mentorship. She has supervised numerous graduate and undergraduate students, guiding them in their research and to pursue careers in computational epidemiology and public health.

Since 2024, Dr. Bansal has served as the Chair of the Founding Committee of the Global Society for Infectious Disease Dynamics (GSIDD), a new global professional society to serve the community of researchers, practitioners, and educators in infectious disease dynamics. Additionally, she is involved in various community outreach initiatives to raise awareness of the importance of an inclusive, diverse, and just future for the next generation of scientists.

Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/94342367823

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