Sourya Shrestha, PhD

Assistant Scientist, Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health

I received my PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Michigan and have completed postdoctoral fellowships in ecology of infectious diseases, and epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB). In my current research, I take a model-based approach to gain better and more quantitative understanding of population-level epidemiology of TB, including its natural history, transmission, and the impact of intervention and control measures. I develop a variety of models – from more conceptual mathematical models (such as compartmental models, and branching process models) amenable to mathematical or statistical analyses, to more complex simulation-based models (e.g., individual-based models) with the ability to incorporate variety of data. I collaborate with field epidemiologists, clinicians, and local and international public health organizations such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Birat Nepal Medical Trust to better inform TB control and prevention measures and policies. Some of my recent work has focused on understanding the impact and cost-effectiveness of targeting preventive therapy in the United States, impact of delivering TB vaccines in South African mining communities, and the impact of active case finding in Bangladesh and Nepal.