Matthew Ferrari

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Composite image of the Earth at night assembled from data acquired by the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite over nine days in April 2012 and thirteen days in October 2012. 

Using satellite images to better target vaccination

10/6/16

Vaccination campaigns can improve prevention and control of disease of outbreaks in the developing world by using satellite images to capture short-term changes in population size. New research describing the technique is published in the Nature Publishing Group journal Scientific Reports.

Andrew Read in lab

Penn State harnessing research muscle to fight infectious diseases

2/8/16

To help tackle the complexities of infectious disease dynamics, Penn State has developed an interdisciplinary approach to disease research, bringing together a diverse team of theoreticians and empirical scientists — representing such disparate fields as molecular biology, mathematics, plant pathology, entomology, genomics, statistics, physics, population dynamics and more — under a single umbrella. Now entering its 13th year in existence, Penn State's Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics has become a global leader in infectious disease research.

map of Earth's lights from satellite

Night Lights

1/25/12

Satellite images of nighttime lights, normally used to detect population centers, also can help keep tabs on diseases in developing nations, according to new research. An international research team that includes Matthew Ferrari, assistant professor of biology at Penn State, found that the composited images accurately indicate fluctuations in population density—and thus the corresponding risk of epidemic—that can elude current methods of monitoring outbreaks. The research is expected to help medical professionals synchronize vaccination strategies with increases in population density.

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Frontiers of Science lecture series continues Feb. 19

2/10/11

A free public lecture titled "On the Eve of Eradication? Outbreak Dynamics and Vaccine Policy in the Developing World" will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 19 in room 100 of the Thomas Building on the University Park campus. The lecture, part of this year's Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science series, will be delivered by Matthew Ferrari, assistant professor of biology at Penn State. This will be the fifth of six lectures in the series, which takes place on consecutive Saturday mornings. It is not necessary to register for the event.