Welcome to Bento lab!
Who
I'm an Assistant Professor @ Indiana University - Bloomington in Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health & the EEB department. I'm a disease ecologist with a focus on ecology and evolution of infectious diseases. I earned my Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolution at Silwood Park, Imperial College London advised by Prof. Mick Crawley. 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. Pej Rohani on the ecology & evolution of vaccine preventable childhood diseases (2015-2019).
Why
I'm fascinated by trying to understand the frequency, magnitude and shape of seasonal disease dynamics and the effects of population heterogeneity. Primarily, identifying evolutionary, ecological and demographic drivers of (re-) emergence and seasonality of infectious disease systems, with the aim of informing vaccination and other control public health policies. Scaling up individual-level interactions to understand the population-level outcomes (e.g., the evolution of virulence or immune evasion).
What
My research focuses on the ecology of infectious diseases in humans and other animals. My research agenda seeks to understand the dynamics of biological populations and epidemics, focusing on how to bring experimental and observational data together with mathematical theory. The majority of my body of work has been on vaccine preventable diseases dynamics, with a view to understanding fundamental processes in ecology and evolution. My 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.
How
My approach is to use theoretical models to understand how human and other animal systems behave generally, while simultaneously seeking to confront and validate models with data and make predictions. I use a combination of mathematical modelling, phylodynamics approaches and cutting-edge statistical inference techniques. With these methods I am able to make quantitative, testable predictions and confront process-based models with parallel data streams. This is the central premise of my research program and the common thread of my work. For more details check out my lab.
Selected ongoing projects
A selection of projects I'm involved in much of my current research is based on understanding long-term data on spatio-temporal incidence patterns of microparasitic infections such as pertussis and measles. In addition, Some new projects on COVID-19. In my work, I formalize scientific hypotheses as mathematical models to make precise predictions and powerful inference.
Adaptive behavior and disease transmission
Integrative Epi-economic framework to understand adaptive changes in behavior and transmission consequences
In collaboration With Dan Kaffine & Antonio Bento
Evolution of resistance to Schistosomiasis
Investigating population structure and differential transmission potential in snail populations in Senegal. Will recruit Postdocs soon!
In collaboration with Jason Rohr, Maurine Neiman & Curt Lively
Disease spreading modeling through social and genomic data of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States
Integrating paralel data streams
In collaboration with carla Mavian
Bacterial Evolutionary Signatures
We are developing holistic mechanistic models of pertussis evolution for countries under different vaccine regimes
In collaboration with Andy Preston, Sam Scarpino, Matthew Hahn, Eric Harvill & Michael Weigand
Tick borne emergence in the Midwest
Using Indiana as an Early Warning System for tick expansion in the Midwest. Phylogeographic analysis of tick and pathogen diversity and disease dynamics
In collaboration with Karo Oomodior, Keith Clay, Dan Becker, Curt Lively & Ellen Ketterson
Evolution of antiviral resistance
Computationally test the hypothesis that increased HA binding avidity is associated with increased rates of Oseltamivir resistance.
In collaboration with Sam Scarpino
Selected Publications
For a complete list of publications check my google scholar. Brief description below with links for the publications
Information Seeking Responses to News of Local COVID-19 Cases: Evidence from Internet Search Data
Bento et al PNAS 2020
Effects of mitigation strategies on COVID-19 averted cases in Sichuan, China
Liu et al. Plos Comp Bio 2020
COVID-19 incidence in the county increased on average by a statistically significant 0.024 per thousand residents
Andersen et al. 2020
Evolutionary consequences of feedbacks between within-host competition and disease control
Greischar et al. JID 2020
Inferring Timing of Infection Using Within-host SARS-CoV-2 Infection Dynamics Model: Are “Imported Cases” Truly Imported?
Ejima et al medRviv 2020
Core pertussis transmission groups in England and Wales: A tale of two eras
Bento et al. 2018. Vaccine
Maternal pertussis immunisation: clinical gains and epidemiological legacy
Bento, King & Rohani. 2017. Eurosurveillance
Forecasting epidemiological consequences of maternal immunization
Bento & Rohani 2016. Clinical Infectious Diseases
Physiological proteins in resource-limited herbivores experiencing a population die-off
Garnier et al. 2017
A review of epidemiological parameters from Ebola outbreaks to inform early public health decision-making
van Kerkove et al. 2015. Scientific Data
Exploration of the power of routine surveillance data to assess the impacts of industry-led badger culling on bovine tuberculosis incidence in cattle herds
Donnelly et al. 2015. Veterinary Record
Global effects of delays in detection of COVID-19
Bento et al. nearing submission (available upon request)
Age and sex specific susceptibility as a predictor for COVID-19 prevalence in China
Bento et al. nearing submission (available upon request)
The Bento Lab
Get to know us & join us!
Ana Bento PI
Eco-epidemiologist with a focus on ecology and evolution of infectious diseases.
Seth Edmunds Phd Student
SPH
Varun Rao PhD Student
NRT
Teaching | Mentoring
I have been fortunate to create and teach a variety of classes and mentor several outstanding undergraduate and MSc. and Ph.D. students.
Three unifying principles guide my teaching and mentoring approach:
(i) combining foundational principles with practical application
(ii) guided active learning
(iii) quantitative reasoning
These are examples of some courses I have designed and or taught:
Introduction to Scientific Computing
Statistics and Computing in R for Ecologists and Epidemiologists (Indiana University- Bloomington
Computational Modeling
Computational Modeling ECOL 8540 - applied to infectious disease systems (May 2018 @ IDEAS, UGA)
Introduction to modelling
Introduction to modelling with R - apply population models (2017 @ Odum School of Ecology)
Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of experts for educational institutions and COVID-19 would be to provide strategic and technical advice to WHO, UNESCO and UNICEF on matters relating to educational institutions and COVID-19 transmission.
BIG Ten
Member of the Epi- Core cardiac registry for COVID-19
Epidemiologist in the COVID-19 advisory group
Media Coverage
Ana I Bento © 2019 | Background image R code adapted from data imaginist