peopleDavid Welch
Postdoctoral Researcher
Email: jdw21@stat.psu.edu
Phone: 814-865-1030
Fax: 814-865-9131
Office: 510 Mueller Laboratory
Research
I am a statistician working on methods for estimating networks using genetic and social data. The work is aimed at understanding:
- The spread of disease
- The structure of populations in which disease spreads
The networks I am interested in are defined by the mode of transmission of a disease. The nodes of the network are typically the individuals in the host population. The edges between nodes represent some type of infectious contact or path along which the disease is transmitted. For example, in vertically transmitted or inherited diseases, the edges may represent parent-child relationships; in horizontally transmitted diseases, they may represent blood transfer.
Working with others in CIDD, I am:
- Developing stochastic models for these networks
- Estimating model parameters using different types of data
We estimate model parameters using stochastic simulation tools such as Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). Developing these tools is a major part of my research.