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My primary research focus is the ecology and transmission of infectious diseases and their effects on human populations. I am particularly interested in the geographic spread of human infectious diseases in both historical and modern populations. I am also interested in the demography of living and past populations.

Because of my interest in disease in human populations, my work tends to involve issues in all subfields, including, for example, the biological effects of infectious diseases, the spread of infectious diseases across both physical space and social networks, and the influence of cultural practices, such as construction of living areas, on the probability and patterns of disease spread. Present research projects include a study of the spread of the 1918-19 influenza epidemic and other epidemics among aboriginal peoples in central Manitoba and a study of the spread of multiple acute pathogens (especially influenza and measles) within a context of chronic tuberculosis and malnutrition in Newfoundland and Labrador during the first half of the 20th century. I specialize in developing and analyzing results from mathematical and computer modeling of the spread of infectious diseases, including influenza, pertussis, smallpox, and TB and have recently extended my arsenal of methods from population-based to agent-based models.

Although my main personal interest is in mathematical modeling, I welcome students interested in any methods to study the ecology and transmission of infectious diseases in human populations. In addition, I have recently developed new expertise in the collection and analysis of archival data on mortality throughout Newfoundland and I also welcome students with interests in the use of demographic and/or epidemiological data derived from archival sources.

Research Interests
Anthropological epidemiology,
medical anthropology, demography,
mathematics of human populations,
human population biology and ecology, population genetics.

Recent Fellowships and Grants [ top ]

University of Missouri Summer Research Fellowship and Research Council Grant, "The potential impact of co-circulating pathogens in St. John's, Newfoundland" (June 2009-May 2010), $10,585

University of Missouri Research Board Grant, "Traditional social activities and epidemic spread in Newfoundland" (June 2006-May 2007), $8000 (with C. Palmer)

University of Missouri Research Council Grant, "Agent-based model of epidemic spread in Newfoundland" (June 2006-May 2007), $6605

Government of Canada, Canada Studies Faculty Research Grant Program, "Traditional social activities and epidemic spread in Newfoundland" (June 2006-May 2007), $9000 (with C. Palmer)

National Science Foundation, Grant No. SBR-0094449, "Modeling interactions among environment, behavior, and mortality in the Western James Bay Cree" (Apr 2001-Mar 2005) (with R. Hoppa, D.A. Herring, and R. Preston)
and REU Supplement (Apr 2003-Mar 2004).

Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Contract No. DTRA01-02-C-0035, “Geographic Epidemic Modeling (GEM) study” (May, 2002-April, 2003).

Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, "Historical interactions of environment, behaviour and mortality among the Western James Bay Cree" (June 2000-May 2003) (with R. Hoppa, D.A. Herring, and R. Preston)

Memberships [ top ]

American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association of Physical Anthropologists
Canadian Association for Physical Anthropology
Human Biology Association
Sigma Xi
Society for Mathematical Biology

Awards [ top ]

Elected to Sigma Xi , The Society for Scientific Research (1989)
Elected to Kappa Mu Epsilon, Mathematics Honor Society (1979)

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