Summary
On 10 November 2026, DeZi Network Lead PI Prof. Nuno R. Faria (Imperial College London & University of São Paulo) delivered a keynote lecture presenting the DeZi Network at FGV EMAp 15 Years: Multidisciplinarity in Mathematics and Data Science, held from 9–13 November 2026 at the Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) Cultural Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In the keynote lecture, titled “From reconstruction to intervention: Quantitative methods for understanding and anticipating viral epidemics” (chaired by Prof. Luiz Max Carvalho, FGV EMAp), Prof. Faria outlined how the DeZi Network integrates pathogen genomics, age-stratified seroepidemiology, and mathematical modelling to compress the timeline from cryptic transmission to actionable public health intervention across three core analytical pillars:
- What pathogen is circulating? Deploying portable metagenomic and targeted amplicon sequencing alongside clinical surveillance to close diagnostic blind spots between initial transmission, first symptomatic cases, and official notification.
- Why did it become established? Combining phylodynamic reconstruction with longitudinal cohort and force-of-infection studies to disentangle how population immunity, climate suitability, and ecological interfaces drive epidemic establishment across endemic and newly affected regions.
- Where will it spread next? Integrating phylogeography, human mobility, and environmental covariates to anticipate viral dispersal corridors and inform targeted vector control and vaccination strategies.
