Social network analysis in one health epidemiology
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Statistical Network Science ECI Training Event
Outline of the event:
Complex networks reflecting the contact and pathogen transmission routes are ubiquitous in any epidemiological spreading phenomena in both human and animal populations. Complex networks can be used for investigations and modeling in such fields as food-borne outbreaks, animal movements, and animal trade. Recent rapid spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF) in the Eastern Europe as well as Belgium due to the interplay of the transportation network and wild boar population dynamics encouraged us to organize workshop to disseminate complex tools within veterinary epidemiologists. Moreover, complying with the One Health concept the workshop is aimed to medical staff, biologists and other epidemiological practitioners. The participants will be given opportunity to learn about applications of complex networks in the epidemiological modeling from theoretical and practical (using R/RStudio and Python/JupyterHub), data-driven prospective. The aim of the workshop is to encourage the participants to apply complex networks methods in their own research.
Topics:
The whole workshop will try to address some of the following research questions:
- What types of social/animal interactions can be represented by networks?
- Can we infer how they affect spread of infectious disease?
- How are they correlated with their farming functionality, wild behavior or other conditions?
- Can they predict future spread?
- Can they indicate source of infection?
Organizers:
Vitaly Belik
Marcus Doherr
Andrzej Jarynowski
Participants:
COST will provide finacial support (travel and accomodation) for up to 20 participants. There will be 10 additional slots for local participants.
The workshop is open for veterinarians, medical staff, biologists, epidemiological practitioners, statisticians and anybody interested in infectious diseases in ONE health.
Each workshop will begin with an introduction of theoretical concepts, real-world examples and presentation of an analysis workflow and will be followed by a hands-on session. Statistical programming environment and some other open-source software will be presented depending on the participants’ programming skills. Some basic familiarity with statistics and programming is most welcome, but no expert particular knowledge is required. Each participant needs to bring a laptop.
Location: Veterinarium Progressum, Oertzenweg 19B, 14163 Berlin, Germany (Institute for Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Free University of Berlin)
Dates of workshop: 18th-20th March 2019
Lectures
- Introduction to Complex Networks and epidemiological modeling (Belik)
- Modeling multi-strain epidemics on networks (Ghanbarnejad)
- Geocoded Twitter Data: visualization and analysis (Bartel)
- Livestock trade network analysis (Lentz)
Workshops
- Easy Introduction to R and Python (Belik, Jarynowski)
- Use cases of Network Analysis in Epidemiology (Belik, Jarynowski)
- Risk assessment in Veterinary Epidemiology (Doherr)
- Wild boars and hunting from ethnographic perspective (Brož)
Short talks
- Quasi epidemiological modeling (Buda)
- Machine learning in outbreaks predictions (Czekaj)
- Cattle Movement Network of Germany and its Relation to Epidemic Spreading (Basset)
Internet connection
Participants can use eduroam, additionally there will be a conference wifi access provided.
Program
Lunches should be paid by participants (University Canteen provides lunches for under 10 EUR).
We will collect money from participants, because the University Canteen does not allow cash payment.
Social Event should also be paid by participants.
Registration (until 17th of February 2019): closed
The workshop does not require any registration fee, but we have a limited number of places so only accepted participants will be able to attend.
Travel instructions as well as the exact timing and program of each class will be filled in closer to the event
The deadline for financial support by COST is 31st of January 2019.
Participants have to arrange accommodation on their own.
Please note that registration does not guarantee financial support.