Reshma Kassanjee
The Meaningful Modelling of Pertussis Data for South Africa?Tuesday 30 May, 19:00, AIMS Main Lecture Hall
Abstract: Bordetella pertussis causes the vaccine-preventable and highly infectious respiratory disease that is commonly called Whooping Cough. Trends in cases over time have varied substantially by country, leading to the renewed assessment of vaccination schedules. Questions about South Africa’s vaccine strategy have recently been posed. Although in its early development phase, the modelling project that has been initiated to try to answer these questions will be summarised.
About: Dr Reshma Kassanjee is currently a statistical consultant at the University of Cape Town, providing support to researchers from a diversity of fields – from ecology to psychology. Previously a researcher at SACEMA, her primary interests remain in the areas of public health and epidemiology, with her core research focused on the development of methodologies to estimate HIV incidence. Through a recent collaboration with Vaccines for Africa, Reshma is beginning to explore the area of mathematical modelling for assessing interventions.