ESPIDAM's creation had been inspired by the long-running US Summer Institute in Statistics and Modeling in Infectious Diseases (SISMID) that many CMMID members have attended in the past. It consisted of 6 modules, running as three parallel / two consecutive sessions, with topics ranging from basic modelling topics to advanced ones like the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in modelling. Three CMMID members (Kath Sherratt, Sam Abbott and Seb Funk) contributed and taught a module on nowcasting and forecasting, with lots of new material created and available for self-study.
CMMID member Clara Brigitta who attended ESPIDAM reflected on the programme: "I took the modules 'AI in modelling' and 'Infectious Disease Data Analysis'. The former was a great introduction to the application of machine learning to study infectious disease dynamics and the latter covered a range of methods to model and estimate parameters using different types of infectious disease data. The course was flawlessly organised and it was also a great experience to meet other students from all over Europe, and beyond, interested in infectious disease modelling. ESPIDAM is a great addition for anyone looking for further training to support their doctoral studies."
There are plans to run the Summer Programme again next year, and parts of the course on nowcasting and forecasting will be run as a shorter workshop at the IDM Conference in Bangkok on 5 November, 2024.
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