Carolina Solomon (UCF School of Data, Mathematical, and Statistical Sciences) will speak on "Modeling the Effects of Post Infection Mortality on Malaria Dynamics" at this week's seminar.
Abstract: In 2025, the World Health Organization reported 282 million cases of malaria with approximately 610,000 being fatal. Of those fatalities, about 95% were caused by the Plasmodium falciparum strand. P. falciparum is unique, such that it can cause mortality after recovery due to long-term effects of cerebral malaria and severe anemia. To study the impact of post infection mortality (PIM), we formulated a modified susceptible, exposed, infected, and removed (SEIR) disease model for P. falciparum and investigated the change in dynamics when incorporating the PIM factor. Analytic and numerical studies demonstrate the occurrence of oscillation at parameter values induced by the joint impact of reinfection and mortality of recovered individuals. This can provide insight into public health by showing how P. falciparum disease dynamics may differ from what we previously believed and show a possible need for more long-term monitoring of recovered patients.
Short Bio: Carolina Solomon is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at the University of Central Florida. She was supported by the 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship to investigate the effect of Post Infection Mortality on malaria dynamics. She hopes to continue her research in mathematical epidemiology and work on an undergraduate honors thesis in her last year at UCF.
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