REU Site: Computational Insights into Infectious Disease Evolution, Ecology and Epidemiology

Yale University, New Haven CT

Investigators

Abstract

This REU Site award to Yale University, located in New Haven, CT, will support the training of 6 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2024-2026. It is anticipated that 6 formerly incarcerated undergraduate students interested in STEM research and public health will be recruited from community colleges and undergraduate institutions. The research is focused on the evolution, ecology and epidemiology of infectious diseases. Through coursework and research, participants will be introduced to the computational analysis of big data sets. The program will contribute to the national need for a diverse, computationally adept workforce. Students will learn how research is conducted and will present the results of their work at scientific conferences. Assessment of this program will be done through an online tool. Students should apply to the REU site using NSF ETAP (Education and Training Application: https://etap.nsf.gov). This program will fill a need to expand STEM training and computing exposure for students historically disadvantaged in public K-12 education with limited exposure to computing during incarceration. The program will incorporate faculty mentors from various departments at Yale University, including the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and the School of Public Health. The structured activities will include basic programming in Python, data analysis, modeling, simulations, and machine learning. The computing skills will be marketable for those seeking employment or graduate education. Each morning, students will participate in a computational methods course to improve their research skills. Each afternoon, they will join a faculty-led research team addressing an aspect of infectious disease. Each REU student will have a graduate student mentor to provide guidance in the research environment. Students with few research opportunities will gain computing skills and experience, become part of a research team, and learn about pathways to advanced degrees. Seminars will provide opportunities to network with other REU students and learn about career paths in public health and basic research. Applicants will be selected based on their math and science grades with a strong interest in computing and data science. More information about the program is available by contacting the PI Brandon Ogbunu (brandon.ogbunu@yale.edu) or the co-PI Jacqueline Tanaka (jacqueline.tanaka@yale.edu). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.