This course is part of the Infectious Disease Modelling Specialization

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245 ratings

Nimalan Arinaminpathy

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Associated with the Global Master of Public Health degree
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Infectious Disease Modelling SpecializationImperial College London

About this Course

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Compartmental modelling is a cornerstone of mathematical modelling of infectious diseases and this course will introduce  some  of  the  basic  concepts  in  building  compartmental  models, including how to interpret and represent rates, durations and proportions. You'll learn to place the mathematics to one side and concentrate on gaining intuition into the behaviour of a simple epidemic, and be introduced to further basic concepts of infectious disease epidemiology, such as the  basic reproduction number (R0) and its implications for infectious disease dynamics. To express the mathematical  underpinnings of the  basic drivers that you study, you'll use the simple SIR model, which, in turn, will help you examine different scenarios for reproduction numbers. Susceptibility to infection is the fuel for an infectious  disease, so understanding  the dynamics of susceptibility can offer important insights into epidemic dynamics, as well as priorities for control.

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Course 1 of 3 in the

Infectious Disease Modelling Specialization

Intermediate Level

Approx. 21 hours to complete

English

What you will learn

Construct valid mathematical models capturing the natural history of a given infectious disease
Interpret compartmental models in terms of rates, proportions and delays
Describe the fundamental processes driving the dynamics of an SIR epidemic and show their relation to important concepts
Explain mechanisms by which susceptibility can change over time and develop a simple SIR model to account for these under given parameters

Skills you will gain

Mathematical Model
Infectious Diseases

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 3 in the

Infectious Disease Modelling Specialization

Intermediate Level

Approx. 21 hours to complete

English

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.85/5 (93 Ratings)

Nimalan Arinaminpathy

Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health

9,945 Learners

4 Courses

Offered by

Imperial College London

Imperial College London is a world top ten university with an international reputation for excellence in science, engineering, medicine and business. located in the heart of London. Imperial is a multidisciplinary space for education, research, translation and commercialisation, harnessing science and innovation to tackle global challenges.

Start working towards your Master's degree

This course is related to the 100% online Global Master of Public Health from Imperial College London. It will provide you with a preview of the topics, materials and instructors so you can decide if the full online degree program is right for you.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating99%(1,439 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

8 hours to complete

Modelling the Basics

8 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 27 min), 4 readings

8 videos

Welcome to the Course1mAn Insider's View of IDM4mInfected Cohorts and Simple Flows4mCalculating Competing Hazards in Compartmental Models4mThe Force of Infection1mIntroduction to the SIR Model2mModelling the Force of Infection3mReflections on the SIR Model3m

4 readings

Welcome to Infectious Disease Modelling10mAbout the Infectious Disease Modelling Team10mGlossary10mModelling Infectious Disease Dynamics35m

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Anatomy of an Epidemic

3 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 17 min), 1 reading

Week3

Week 3

4 hours to complete

Combining Modelling and Insights

4 hours to complete

3 videos (Total 11 min), 1 reading

Week4

Week 4

7 hours to complete

Dynamics of Susceptibles

Susceptibility to infection is the fuel for an infectious disease; understanding the dynamics of susceptibility can offer important insights into epidemic dynamics, as well as priorities for control. In this module, building on the basic SIR model that you have coded so far, you will cover three important mechanisms by which susceptibility can change over the course of an epidemic: (i) population turnover, (ii) vaccination, (iii) immunity waning over time.

7 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 10 min)

Reviews

4.8

82 reviews

5 stars
89.79%
4 stars
8.16%
3 stars
0.40%
1 star
1.63%

TOP REVIEWS FROM DEVELOPING THE SIR MODEL

by BCOct 24, 2021

The coding exercises were very worthwhile. I felt the videos were too short, and the readings should have been textbook chapters that focused on fundamentals.

by MTAug 31, 2020

Nice course, good balance of videos and independent work. I have a question! What coding language is used in the etivities? Please help - no replies on the forums sadly! Thanks

by AHSep 25, 2020

This course lived up exactly to my expectations and more. I love their attention to detail and the fact that you are actively engaged in the learning process.

by SWFeb 27, 2021

Achievable targets, constant feedback, great balance between exercises, video, reading make this course truly rewarding and engaging. Thanks!

View all reviews

About the Infectious Disease Modelling Specialization

Mathematical modelling is increasingly being used to support public health decision-making in the control of infectious diseases. This specialisation aims to introduce some fundamental concepts of mathematical modelling with all modelling conducted in the programming language R - a widely used application today.

The specialisation will suit you if you have a basic working knowledge of R, but would also like to learn the necessary basic coding skills to write simple mathematical models in this language. While no advanced mathematical skills are required, you should be familiar with ordinary differential equations, and how to interpret them. You'll receive clear instruction in the basic theory of infectious disease modelling alongside practical, hands-on experience of coding models in the programming language R.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Developing the SIR Model

About this Course

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Skills you will gain