ACCDMi Trainee Members
2025 ACCDMi Scholarship recipients
Dandan Hu
PhD Candidate in Mathematics, Memorial University
We propose a predator–prey–disease model described by reaction–diffusion equations with nonlocal delays, featuring disease transmission within the prey population and intra- and interspecific predator competition. The model explicitly incorporates predator-induced fear and Allee effects; rigorous analysis will reveal thresholds and spatial–temporal dynamics that inform interdisciplinary conservation strategies. Supervisor: Dr. Yuan Yuan.
Guanjie Lyu
Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Community Health & Epidemiology, Dalhousie University
I develop a copula-based joint modelling framework that links the latent error components of vaccination uptake and hospitalization outcomes to address endogeneity from unobserved risk perception. Nonlinear covariate effects are handled in the marginal mean equations via flexible splines, while the copula governs dependence (including tail behavior) and can vary over space and time. This yields credible, policy-relevant estimates of vaccine effectiveness that advance ACCDMi’s disease-ecology and evidence-informed public-health objectives in Atlantic Canada. Supervisor: Dr. Cindy Feng.
Joshua Mack
MSc Candidate in Biology, Memorial University
I have developed a mathematical model to estimate the average number of avian influenza virus infections in humans using data describing the interpandemic periods for the seven influenza pandemics that occurred over the last 245 years. This will help determine the risk of emergence of pandemic influenza. I am also studying how wild bird migrations and disease spread would produce seasonal effects in the risk of human infection within years during the interpandemic period. Supervisor: Dr. Amy Hurford.
Abdelmonem Mohamed
Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island
I conduct research on infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) in Atlantic salmon, integrating scoping reviews, systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy, and evaluation of antimicrobial and antiparasitic use across Canada and other salmon-producing countries to inform evidence-based management. My work examines surveillance strategies, outbreak dynamics, and the effectiveness of interventions, all within a One Health framework. This approach generates actionable insights for disease ecology and sustainable aquaculture, supporting ACCDMi’s objectives in advancing disease forecasting, control strategies, and One Health approaches. Supervisors: Drs. Krishna Thakur and Javier Sanchez.
Ahsan Raquib
PhD Candidate in Epidemiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island
I developed a temporal network analysis framework to assess the role of hatcheries and marine sites in the potential spread of infectious diseases among Atlantic salmon sites using fish transfer data. Building on this, I plan to extend the work by simulating the spread of specific viral and bacterial pathogens through a network-based modelling approach to better understand transmission pathways from freshwater hatcheries to marine net-pen sites, as well as within and between marine sites. Additionally, I have conducted a systematic review synthesizing current knowledge on the transmission dynamics of ISAV, providing an evidence base to inform modelling and surveillance strategies. In parallel, I am applying multiple-membership (MM) Cox proportional hazards models to identify risk factors associated with the time to first detection of infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV) across Atlantic Canada, accounting for shared influences from both hatcheries (MM) and marine sites (frailty). I am also conducting space-time cluster analyses to detect high-risk clusters and hotspots of ISAV occurrence. Supervisors: Drs. Javier Sanchez and Krishna Kumar Thakur.
Sumit Jyoti
PhD Candidate, University of Prince Edward Island
My research integrates large-scale, publicly available aquaculture datasets to investigate environmental and management factors that influence salmon health and disease dynamics. Through the application of hierarchical mixed-effects, time-series, and regression models, it quantifies patterns of mortality and sea lice infestation and evaluates the regulatory equivalence of sea lice thresholds across major salmon-producing regions. Supervisors: Drs. Javier Sanchez and Krishna Thakur.
Wentao Meng
PhD Candidate in Mathematics, Memorial University.
We developed a new mathematical model, supported by analytical and simulation tools, to study infectious diseases (such as covid-19, pneumococcus in some particular countries) under imperfect vaccination, where individuals can choose between two vaccine types with different cost administered in multiple doses. We also assume that there is a waning function that corresponds to the rate of effectiveness after a time period of each dose. An age-structured, dose-stage compartmental model is constructed to identify the optimal vaccine combination under budget constraints. This may provide policy suggestion for administrations of various countries. Supervisor: Dr. Chunhua Ou.
Jingyu Li
PhD Candidate in Statistics, Dalhousie University
I am developing a Bayesian framework for estimating time-varying infection rates and detecting change points in infectious dynamics that reflect the effects of interventions, behavioral modifications, or immunity shifts. I am also interested in likelihood approximations that allow efficient inference for smaller populations and I am developing methods that allow spatial heterogeneity. This work can be expected to contribute to inform public health decision-making in Atlantic Canada because its regional populations are small. Supervisors: Drs. Edward Susko and Lam Ho.
Francis Anokye
PhD Candidate in Interdisciplinary studies, Memorial University
My research combines public health, epidemiological modelling, and data science to improve understanding of infectious disease transmission in Atlantic Canada. Using mechanistic models, seroprevalence data and advanced statistical methods, my work provides an assessment of public health interventions such as vaccination campaigns and provincial alert level systems to understand COVID-19 transmission dynamics in Newfoundland and Labrador during the pandemic. This work enhances outbreak response in smaller jurisdictions, public health policy and evidence-based decision-making. Supervisors: Dr. Amy Hurford.
Jiajun Yue
PhD Candidate in Mathematics, Memorial University
My project develops and analyzes age-structured and dose-structured mathematical models to study infectious diseases under imperfect vaccination. We aim to identify optimal vaccine-mixing strategies under budget constraints using coupled ODE–PDE models. Supervisors: Dr. Chunhua Ou.
Other scholarship recipients are to be announced after they provide the requested information.
Other ACCDMi trainees
Joseph Baafi. Memorial University. Infectious disease, ecological modelling.
Abdou Fofana. Memorial University. Infectious disease modelling, covid-19.
Thu Nguyen. Dalhousie University. Infectious disease modelling, covid-19.
Lele Fan. University of New Brunswick. Infectious disease modelling, covid-19.
Huan Yang. University of New Brunswick. Infectious disease modelling, covid-19.
Luyao Zhao. University of New Brunswick. Infectious disease modelling, covid-19.