The Jacob Marschak Interdisciplinary Colloquium on Mathematics in the Behavioral Sciences at UCLA

Speaker: Carlos Castillo-Chavez, Joaquin Bustoz Jr. Professor of Mathematical Biology, Arizona State University 

Host: Sally Blower, Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences & Director of Biomedical Modeling Center,UCLA

Adaptive Human Behavior and Public Security

The horror of September 11 and the events that followed highlight the nation's vulnerability to acts of terror.Traditional models of epidemics and pandemics are reformulated to account for the role of human-responses toreal or perceived risks. A susceptible-infectious-recovered (SIR) epidemiological model involving arbitrary statedependent incidence rates is use as a proof of the preponderance of non-traditional dynamics. The limitations thatthe basic reproduction number (Ro) places in the development of public health policy are discussed. Preliminaryresults suggest that disease dynamics are better modeled and managed if seen as complex adaptive systems ratherthan just contagion models. The theory is applied in extreme contexts from the deliberate release of a biologicalagent in transportation networks to the spread of fanatic behaviors with potential devastating consequences.

Carlos Castillo-Chavez is Regent's Professor and a Joaquin Bustoz Jr. Professor of Mathematical Biology at ArizonaState University. He has co-authored over 200 publications. His work has been recognized with three White HouseAwards (1992, 1997, and 2011), the American Mathematical Society Distinguished Public Service Award, and the2007 AAAS Mentor award. He is a fellow of the AAAS, SIAM, and AMS. Past appointments include Stanislaw M.Ulam Distinguished Scholar at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He holds the Martin Luther King, Jr. Professorshipat MIT. He is a member of the President's Committee on the National Medal of Science.

The Jacob Marschak Interdisciplinary Colloquium on Mathematics in the Behavioral Sciences just celebratedthe 50th anniversary of its founding by Jacob Marschak, a pioneer in the economics of information. It is directedby Susanne Lohmann (Political Science and Public Policy) in collaboration with Sally Blower (Psychiatry andBiobehavioral Sciences), Louis Gomez (Education), Martie Haselton (Communication Studies and Psychology), andMark Kleiman (Public Policy). Michael Intriligator (Economics, Political Science, and Public Policy) is Honorary Lifetime Director. You are most welcome to sign up to receive e-mail invitations and to send speaker suggestions(marschak@ssc.ucla.edu)!