Ana Isabel Bento

Ana Bento is an Assistant Professor at Indiana University - Bloomington in Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health & the EEB department. She is an eco-epidemiologist with a focus on ecology and evolution of infectious diseases. She earned her Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolution at Imperial College London. After a MRC postdoctoral fellowship (2013-2015) at Imperial College, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Department, I accepted a postdoctoral position at the Odum School of Ecology, UGA, to work with Prof. Pejman Rohani on the ecology & evolution of vaccine preventable childhood diseases (2015-2019). 

Ana Bento uses mathematical models, computational simulations and statistical analysis to study the dynamics of infectious diseases at different spatial and temporal scales. She has a broad background in statistical and mathematical modeling and learning algorithms, with specific training and expertise in ecological and disease systems. In particular, her work aims to glean maximal information from often limited, disparate and messy data. The ultimate goal of her work is to help design better intervention and control strategies against infectious diseases, looking at heterogeneity and its role both for individuals and on the population level. Her ongoing research falls into the following themes: (i) pathogen evolution and phylodynamics; (ii) seasonal disease transmission; (iii) anthropogenic effects (e.g. vaccines); (iv) adaptive behavior.