Greg Werker, MEng, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, CHÉOS
Abstract: One of the most effective public health
strategies for protection against influenza-like illness is vaccination.
For healthy individuals, a single dose of the seasonal influenza
vaccine around the start of flu season offers adequate immonogenicity.
However, HIV-positive patients, when vaccinated, tend to maintain
protection for a shorter period of time. The policy that works for the
general population is not optimal for HIV-positive patients.
I will present our findings published in Vaccine showing
that the optimal time to administer a single dose of the seasonal
influenza vaccine to HIV-positive patients in the US is mid-November to
early December. I will then discuss our ongoing research into whether
there are different optimal strategies for subpopulations within the
HIV-positive population that consider additional dosing strategies as
well as different timing strategies.
Greg Werker is a postdoctoral fellow at CHÉOS and has a PhD in
Management Science from the Sauder School of Business at UBC. His
research involves applying mathematical models within health care, with
applications that include public health systems for people with
addictions and concurrent disorders and e-health initiatives that
provide capacity beyond traditional models. In his dissertation he
explored strategic planning under uncertainty in two applications:
workforce planning at the BC Cancer Agency and resource planning in
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Greg’s bachelor’s and master’s are both
in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from Cornell
University, and he has worked as a consultant in various manufacturing
sectors including food and beverages, semiconductor, and petrochemicals.
This talk is open and will include a light lunch.