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Welcome to the April 2025 newsletter!
Please contact info@ammnet.org if you would like to contribute any items to next month’s newsletter.
Register for the AMMnet Monthly Seminar May 6, 2025, 15 hr UTC
Seminar details: May's seminar will focus on discussing AMMnet's newly approved Theory of Change and looking ahead within AMMnet.
Re-registration request: Due to last seminar's time confusion, we strongly recommend attendees to re-register so that they receive the calendar invite for the May seminar at the correct time, which is 15:00 UTC.
Instructor: Punam Amratia, PhD, Technical Lead of Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) East Africa node, Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
About the session: Join us for the next AMMnet Hackathon session, scheduled for May 7, 13:00 GMT.
This session will focus on Mapping in R, with an emphasis on working with rasters using the terra package. You'll learn how to crop, extract, project, and analyze both single and multiple rasters, as well as create publication-worthy maps from them. Over two hours, we'll cover essential raster handling techniques to enhance your geospatial analyses and visualization skills.
All experience levels are welcome! Register at the link below.
This session builds upon concepts from the last mapping in R hackathon. Sample data, code, and exercises will be provided for an interactive learning experience.
All registered participants should expect to receive an email with the session materials and downloads by the week of April 28, a week prior to the hackathon.
The session will be recorded and made publicly available to all AMMnet members via the hackathon blog.
About the instructor
Punam Amratia is the Technical Lead of Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) East Africa node, Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and a member of AMMnet since 2020. With over a decade of experience in malaria epidemiology, biostatistics, and geo-spatial modelling, Dr. Amratia has established herself as a leader in the field, contributing significantly to the understanding and mapping of malaria risk and burden globally. Through her work, she has provided essential technical support to both malaria elimination settings using multi-metric approaches and WHO High Burden High Impact countries, leveraging household surveys and routine surveillance data to enhance malaria control and elimination strategies. As a skilled educator, Dr. Amratia has developed and taught introductory data science courses at the University of Oxford, focusing on data handling, manipulation, and visualization. She has also played a pivotal role in capacity strengthening in many malaria-endemic countries through the development of spatial training material and continues to support the learning of those interested in geostatistics and data science through the MaMOD consortium and MAP.
This Hackathon is taught in English, but we invite instructors of other languages to lead sessions. Reach out to info@ammnet.org if you are interested in leading a session in French or Portuguese.
Access materials and recordings of previously held hackathons on the AMMnet Hackathon blog.
Find recordings and materials for all previously held hackathons on our blog. Use the link below to access.
Data Visualization in R
Data Wrangling in R
Mapping in R
French Introduction to Data Wrangling in R
We invite instructors of other languages to lead sessions. Reach out to info@ammnet.org if you are interested in leading a session in French or Portuguese.
Vote to Elect the Next AMMnet Board Members by April 18, 2025, midnight GMT.
AMMnet has 7 candidates for you to consider for 2 Board membership positions.
ROLE OF THE BOARD
Strategy. AMMnet’s Board sets the strategic vision of AMMnet, ensures the ongoing viability of AMMnet, and ensures AMMnet maintains focus on its mission, vision, and values.
Committees and activities. The Board reviews the committee structure and activities to ensure they align with AMMnet’s mission and strategic goals, including changing committees as needed. The Board delegates Governance and Finance Committees by selecting Board members to serve on these Committees. The Board sets strategy for spending funds and sets overall budget by activity.
Leadership sustainability. The Board plans for leadership transition by identifying and developing potential committee chairs, task force leaders, and successor to the board chair.
You may find more information about the Board and Board member responsibilities and expectations in the Terms of Reference on our website here.
Please review each candidate's statement below and select TWO candidates whom you feel are most suited to effectively participate on the AMMnet Board.
AMMnet Career Development Committee webinar recordings now available!
Literature Review in Proposal Writing
March 26th, 15hr UTC Speaker: Prof. Serge SOMDA
The AMMnet Career Development Committee held an insightful webinar on Literature Review in Proposal Writing, presented by the Prof. Serge SOMDA.
In this webinar, Prof. Serge SOMDA guided the attendees through the essentials of conducting and structuring an effective literature review. Whether you are a student preparing your first research proposal or an experienced researcher looking to refine your skills, this session will provide practical tips and expert insights to help you build a strong foundation for your research proposals.
Find recordings in English, Portuguese and French below.
Congratulations to our latest Small Event Awardees!
Ly Hadiza Institut Pratique de la Santé Publique du Niger, Niger For their event entitled,First local meeting of the Applied Malaria Modeling Network in the fight against malaria in Niger in the era of mathematical modeling
Piero Irakiza Centre for Impact, Innovation and Capacity Building for Health Information Systems and Nutrition, Rwanda For their event entitled, Bridging Research and Policy: Malaria Modeling for Impact
Dennis Kariuki Chuka University, Kenya For their event entitled, Malaria Risk Prediction in Kenya using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Models in R
Damilola Ayowole Federal Medical Centre, Nigeria For their event titled,Strengthening Surveillance and Data-Driven Decision-Making for Malaria Vaccine Uptake
Faraji Yatundu SE Kenya University, Kenya For their event titled, Proposed training on application of Geospatial modeling to distribute Malaria intervention resources in Kitui County
Jean Damascene HAGENIMANA Centre for Impact, Innovation and Capacity Building for Health Information Systems and Nutrition, Rwanda For their event titled, The Role of Modeling in Optimizing Subnational Malaria Strategies
Siphiwe Mulenga University of Lusaka, Zambia For their event titled,Advancing Malaria Modeling knowledge exchange and collaborations in Zambia
Submit your application before the next Small Event Award deadline: June 1, 2025
Requirement Reminder: Applicants are required to submit the template (English, French, Portuguese) that can be found on our website by clicking the link below. If you don't submit your proposal using the required template, we will not consider your application.
Join the AMMnet WhatsApp Group and connect directly with members, get announcements, including job, funding, collaborative opportunities and information about upcoming events.
Join the AMMnet Slack Workspace and connect directly with members, get announcements, including job, funding, collaborative opportunities and information about upcoming events.
Modelling Research Officer Position Available at the Modelling and Simulation Hub, Africa
The Modelling and Simulation Hub, Africa (MASHA) in the Department of Statistical Sciences invites applications to fill one post as a full-time Research Officer on a 36-month contract starting as soon as possible.
MASHA’s research focus is the development and application of mathematical modelling and computer simulation to predict the dynamics and control of infectious diseases to evaluate the impact of policies aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality. Based in the Faculty of Science, MASHA’s research is closely integrated with other disciplines resulting in policy-driven and impactful scientific research.
Scientific Assistant Position Available in Modelling Workflow at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
We are looking for a R Developer to support the development and maintenance of software tools used in the modelling workflow. The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) is a world-leading institute in global health with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries. Associated with the University of Basel, Swiss TPH combines research, education and services at local, national and international levels. 950 people from 95 nations work at Swiss TPH focusing on infectious and non-communicable diseases, environment, society and health as well as health systems and interventions.
The Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH) investigates distribution and causes of infections and non-communicable diseases. To understand and promote the well-being of people in different cultural and environmental contexts, EPH applies various methods ranging from anthropology and social science to biostatistics and mathematical modelling as well as observational cohorts with biobanks.
In particular, the Analytics and Intervention Modelling (AIM) group contributes to build a data-driven and evidence-based recommendations to support in-country decision makers in their fight against malaria. This is possible by using state of the art infectious disease modelling, health economics frameworks and the growing evidence generated by real-world data. Together with local partners, the AIM group co-creates action plans to prioritize the most impactful interventions in malaria endemic setting around the Globe. In addition, the AIM group actively contributes to capacity strengthening.
Student/Trainee Summer Research Grant Opportunity Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases
Apply by: Friday April 18, 2025
Eligibility: Graduate and doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees
Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEID) is pleased to announce the availability of two research grants (one for graduate students and one for doctoral and postdoctoral students) pursuing innovative research projects related to CEID’s mission. The project has to focus on public health, policy, clinical, social sciences, or data sciences research related to emerging infectious diseases, outbreaks, global health security, pandemic preparedness, or the effects of any of the above.
These grants aim to support students in their academic and professional development by providing financial assistance for their research endeavors. Each of the two awards are $5,000. Students should identify a faculty mentor who will oversee their research over the summer and can speak to their qualifications and experience.
Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology Imperial College London School of Public Health
Introduction to Mathematical Models of the Epidemiology & Control of Infectious Diseases
An interactive short course for professionals taking place 15th - 26th September 2025. Taught by leading researchers who advise policy-makers internationally. Topics include HIV, TB, malaria, outbreak response, COVID-19, health economics, vaccination programmes, stochastic models & more. For questions, please contact infectiousdiseasemodels@imperial.ac.uk.
EpiMob Satellite at NetSci 2025 Conference (June 3, 2025)
The EpiMob satellite (“Epidemic Control: From Mobility Data to Public Health”) at the NetSci 2025 conference in Maastricht, Netherlands, aims to bring together researchers exploring the use of mobility and contact data to study and respond to infectious disease epidemics. More details coming soon.
NetSci 2025 will be held June 2-6, 2025, at MECC Maastricht. The EpiMob satellite will take place on Tuesday, June 3 at the NetSci conference venue.
17th Annual Summer Institute in Statistics and Modeling in Infectious Diseases (SISMID)
The Summer Institute in Statistics and Modeling in Infectious Diseases (SISMID) is designed to introduce infectious disease researchers to modern methods of statistical analysis and mathematical modeling.
SISMID 2025 will be held online July 7–11 and in person at Emory University from July 14–July 30, 2025, in the R. Randall Rollins Building (1516 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30322). Online modules are also available; find more details at the link.
Register for the 2025 ASTMH Annual Meeting | November 9-13 in Toronto Canada
American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (ASTMH) will be holding its annual meeting from November 9 -13, 2025 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Find more information below!
Guidelines for Establishing an AMMnet Local Chapter
AMMnet’s Local Chapters bring together modelers, analysts, scientists, public health professionals, partner institutions and civil society, to work together locally to adopt common approaches to improve the use of modeling and analytics for controlling and eliminating malaria whilst reflecting the mission of Global AMMnet.
Establishing a local AMMnet chapter is a three-step process:
Pre-registration with global AMMnet
A completed Local Chapter Establishment Application Form
AMMnet Board approval with guidance from the Local Chapter Review Task Force
If you are an AMMnet member and you are interested in establishing a local chapter, please refer the information and guidelines found at the link below.
If you have any questions, considerations or suggestions for establishing local AMMnet chapters, please send us an email at info@ammnet.org.
21 AMMnet local chapters are in the process of establishment. Refer to the list of those local chapters below and their stage of establishment.
Local Chapters with Establishment in Process
Benin
Mali
Burkina Faso
Mozambique
Central African Republic
Niger
Djibouti
Nigeria
DRC
Rwanda
Ethiopia
Senegal
Ghana
Sierra Leone
Guinea
Tanzania
Guinea-Bissau
Togo
Kenya
Zimbabwe
Malawi
Send an inquiry to info@ammnet if you feel your local chapter has not been included by mistake or if you wish to be connected with a local chapter contact.
April 1, 2025, 15 hr UTC Malaria Entomology Modelling Presenter: Nakul Chitnis
Dr. Chitnis began the seminar with the history of malaria modelling and its strong link with malaria vector control, starting with the work of Ronald Ross and larviciding in the early 20th Century, followed by George Macdonald and indoor residual spraying in the second half of the 20th Century. He then surveyed active areas of research in malaria vector control, including the types of models used and the kind of data needed.
You may find recordings of this seminar along with others on our website or YouTube channel.
Recordings in French, English and Portuguese are available.
For their event entitled, AMMnet Insights in Bangladesh: Divisional Workshops on Malaria Modelling for Public Health Professionals in Bangladesh.
Ivan Misonge, AMMnet Cameroon Chapter
For their event entitled, Data Science and Mathematical Modelling International Training Program – Foundational Methodology.
Awardees are the following:
Next cycle: April 15, 2025
April 15 cycle
Developing a reviewer guidelines document to help guide with scoring, etc
Small Event Award
March 1 cycle awardees
Ly Hadiza Institut Pratique de la Santé Publique du Niger, Niger For their event entitled, First local meeting of the Applied Malaria Modeling Network in the fight against malaria in Niger in the era of mathematical modeling
Piero Irakiza Centre for Impact, Innovation and Capacity Building for Health Information Systems and Nutrition, Rwanda For their event entitled, Bridging Research and Policy: Malaria Modeling for Impact
Dennis Kariuki Chuka University, Kenya For their event entitled, Malaria Risk Prediction in Kenya using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Models in R
Damilola Ayowole Federal Medical Centre, Nigeria For their event titled, Strengthening Surveillance and Data-Driven Decision-Making for Malaria Vaccine Uptake
Faraji Yatundu SE Kenya University, Kenya For their event titled, Proposed training on application of Geospatial modeling to distribute Malaria intervention resources in Kitui County
Jean Damascene HAGENIMANA Centre for Impact, Innovation and Capacity Building for Health Information Systems and Nutrition, Rwanda For their event titled, The Role of Modeling in Optimizing Subnational Malaria Strategies
Siphiwe Mulenga University of Lusaka, Zambia For their event titled, Advancing Malaria Modeling knowledge exchange and collaborations in Zambia
Next cycle: June 1, 2025
Hackathon
Mapping in R – March 6
Instructor: Punam Amratia
~180 participants
French Intro to Data Wrangling in R, April 16
Instructor: Naomie Tedto
182 registered
Mapping Session 2 – May 7
Instructor: Punam Amratia
Data Wrangling Extension – Sept/Oct
Instructor: Cameline Orlendo, SwissTPH
Subgroups
Asia Pacific
72 global AMMnet members in Asia Pac countries
Gerry Ryan, Australia & Nawaphan (Nani) Metchanun, Thailand
Working on a strategy document
next steps: co-chairs/secretariat meeting on April 30 at 2:00 am UTC
Venue selected but will have one breakout + plenary
Once confirmed, program will be updated
Trainings will be re-organized and Friday extended to accommodate
More in discussion section below
Local Chapters
Tracking spreadsheet
Applications received and approved by task force, operating funds disbursed
Liberia
Uganda
Zambia
Applications received and ready for Board vote today
Cameroon
Applications received and establishment in process
DRC (due to country administrative challenges, will temporarily work under an established organization, MoU underway; status requested most recently, April 11
Multiple chapters
Cherlynn and Antonio to think about how this can be avoided in the future; consider adding to guidelines
AMMnet’s role is to strengthen the chapter rather than resolving disputes. Chapter should show that they can resolve problems themselves.
Next steps
Task force will refine approach for local chapter oversight and ideas for local chapter support (strategically) and development from AMMnet global
Secretariat will request updates from those in process
Best Practices for Starting a Local Chapter Task Force
Hifzah/Shannon drafted an FAQ for establishing local chapters
Sent to task force for feedback
Discussed with local chapter leaders, April 15, gathering their feedback
Website Development
Task Force will continue to provide feedback during key stages.
Sent layouts April 11 for feedback by April 25
Development is next
Copy revisions will be shared with the Board
Anticipate final deployment in early May
Local Chapters Establishment
Recommendation for Chapter establishment: Cameroon
Cherlynn/Susan summarized application and conclusion
Board had no questions/comments
All voted Yea in favor of Cameroon Local Chapter establishment
Theory of Change
All voted in favor of ratifying Theory of Change
2025 AMMnet Meeting
In Dakar, Senegal, June 25-27
Collaborating with SME WG June 23-24, NMDR June 26-27
Program in development, updates from BMGF today
Board meeting: when?
Could hold in a corner of the hotel on Friday (during the training sessions/could possibly use PATH office)
Could hold Tuesday (during SME WG meeting ); explore using breakout room while SME WG not using
Advisory Board meeting: when?
Virtual. (would rather use funds for early career to travel to meeting)
Shannon/Hifzah to find a common time for all
Travel awards for LC leads
If they don’t have funding, we will cover travel
funds to invite 1 from each local chapter – 4 established + 1 in process
Will invite them to participate in Local Chapter Panel discussion
Measuring impact/effectiveness of AMMnet-sponsored training initiatives
In our ToC: “Evaluate all training efforts and identify successful approaches”
How do we do this?
For global AMMnet, we have post-event data for our in-person annual meeting training events and hackathons
We also have measure of effectiveness data from small event awards (very diverse information), and will also have this kind of data from the large events awards (none have happened yet)
Question: (how) can we use this data to understand what has worked well and what has been less successful?
If the data is not usable, why not, and how can data collection be improved so that we do have what we need to identify successful approaches?
Should we issue an RFP to ask for proposals from members to
1) analyze the data we already have
2) possibly do new qualitative data collection: key informant interviews amongst experienced trainers and some past participants?
Include a recommendation for future data collection/prospective analysis (emphasis)
Look at what we have funded; evaluation of event awards
Start with a narrow evaluation (with our budget in mind) and in the future broaden evaluation
Budget of around $5k to support
Secretariat/Jaline will draft a RFP and run by the June meeting
If so, how should we go about it, and for what amount of award?
Large Event Awards – AMMnet budget includes travel and accommodations for one Board member to attend
Kenya
Mutono Nyamai & Cameline Orlendo, University of Nairobi, Pan-African Training School on Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases (Malaria).
2-week course, August 18-29
Emilie is already going and she can represent the Board
Cameroon
Ivan Misonge, AMMnet Cameroon Chapter/Health Organization Welfare, Data Science and Mathematical Modelling International Training Program – Foundational Methodology.
3 weeks in-person + 1 week online
Dates TBD
Can Antonio and/or Nadege represent the Board? – Shannon will confirm with Nadege
Bangladesh
Tilak Chandra Nath, PhD, Sylhet Agricultural University, Bangladesh, AMMnet Insights in Bangladesh: Divisional Workshops on Malaria Modelling for Public Health Professionals in Bangladesh.
Series of intensive two-day workshops across the eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh, located on university campuses (Dhaka (this may make the most sense for a Board member), Chattogram, Rajshahi,Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, Rangpur & Mymensingh)
Shannon/Hifzah to check in with Tilak and find out when Dhaka event is scheduled; Caitlin or Jaline may be interested
