Mercedes Pascual

Mercedes Pascual studies the population dynamics of water-borne and vector-borne infectious diseases, the interplay with pathogen antigenic and genetic diversity, and the impact of changing environments, including climate change and climate variability, on pathogens. She compiles and analyzes extensive datasets, combining mathematical models with computational statistics to analyze temporal and spatial disease variability. Her approach bridges the gap between data and models, allowing Pascual to make inferences from incomplete datasets. She is focused on predicting disease dynamics and how they may be altered, critical at a time of increased contact between natural and human environments, increased human movement, and rapid environmental change.