From the Unseen to Foresight: Epidemic Modeling in the Age of Computing and AI
Tue 10/7 • 1PM - 2:30PM PDT
Charles E. Young Research Library (YRL)
Presented by the UCLA Library and the Jacob Marschak Interdisciplinary Colloquium on Mathematics in the Behavioral Sciences
Speaker: Alessandro Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute and Sternberg Family Distinguished University Professor, Northeastern University
Epidemics are prototypical complex systems, driven by invisible pathogens spreading through interconnected networks of humans, transportation infrastructures and environments. Today, the convergence of computational power, AI and data-rich modeling is transforming how we understand and respond to outbreaks. From early situational awareness to scenario exploration and real-time forecasting, we are entering an era where we can finally turn complexity into foresight — and even harness it to stay one step ahead of emerging pathogens.