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Next Scholars' Hub @ Home event explores how AI and disease modelling can help fight COVID-19 in Africa

Do you enjoy hearing about the latest thought-provoking research? Don’t miss the next Scholars’ Hub @ Home speaker series event that will discuss how AI and disease modelling can improve COVID-related public health interventions and vaccinations in Africa.

Brought to you by York Alumni Engagement, the Scholars’ Hub @ Home speaker series features discussions on a broad range of topics, with engaging lectures from some of York’s best minds. Events are held in partnership with Vaughan Public Libraries, Markham Public Library, and Aurora Public Library.

Students, alumni and all members of the community are invited to attend. All sessions take place at 12 p.m. EST via Zoom.

On March 24, join for a special edition of Scholars’ Hub @ Home hosted in partnership with Canada-UK Foundation, a non-profit that works to create partnerships linking the academic and non-academic worlds to foster an understanding of Canada and its contributions across a wide range of subjects.

James Orbinski

James Orbinski

The event, titled “Can AI and disease modelling improve COVID-related public health interventions and vaccinations in Africa?” will feature a discussion between James Orbinski, professor at York University’s School of Health Policy & Management in the Faculty of Health and director of the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, and Simon Frost, professor of pathogen dynamics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the U.K. and principal data scientist at Microsoft Health in the U.S.

Orbinski will describe how researchers at the Dahdaleh Institute and York University have partnered with more than 50 researchers across eight African countries to support national policymakers in efforts to manage the pandemic and improve COVID-19 vaccination programs in Africa. The collaborative project, led by York University Assistant Professor Jude Kong and a team of York faculty members including Orbinski, brings together York’s research strengths in disease modelling, global health, artificial intelligence and emergency management, with African AI and modelling expertise. In November 2020, the project received more than $1.2 million in funding from the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC) through the Global South AI4COVID Response Program.

Orbinski will be joined by Frost, whose research focuses on infectious disease dynamics and evolution, to talk about the science behind zoonotics, robotics, next-generation Artificial Intelligence, genome science and much more.

Register for the event here.