EDUCATION
University of Denver Denver, CO
Ph.D., Geography and the Environment Aug 2015
Dissertation: Climate driven changes to malaria transmission patterns in Ethiopian Highlands: A spatial and temporal examination of malaria dynamics; Advisor: Paul Sutton; External advisor: Mercedes Pascual (University of Michigan)
Ph.D., Geography and the Environment Aug 2015
Dissertation: Climate driven changes to malaria transmission patterns in Ethiopian Highlands: A spatial and temporal examination of malaria dynamics; Advisor: Paul Sutton; External advisor: Mercedes Pascual (University of Michigan)
Columbia University New York, NY
M.A., Climate and Society Aug 2009
Thesis: Predictability of malaria epidemics based on climatic factors; Advisors: Steven Connor and Madeleine Thomson.
M.A., Climate and Society Aug 2009
Thesis: Predictability of malaria epidemics based on climatic factors; Advisors: Steven Connor and Madeleine Thomson.
Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
B.Sc., Mathematics Nov 1993
B.Sc., Mathematics Nov 1993
EXPERIENCE
University of Notre Dame; Department of Biological Sciences Notre Dame, IN
Postdoctoral Research Associate Sep 2015 – Current
Postdoctoral Research Associate Sep 2015 – Current
- Analyzing the dynamics of infectious diseases in space and time: diseases include malaria, dengue, chikungunya, West Nile and Zika.
- Mentoring undergraduate students on spatial dynamics of vector-borne disease transmission.
University of Denver, Pardee Center for International Futures Denver, CO
Graduate Research Assistant Sep 2010 – Aug 2015
Graduate Research Assistant Sep 2010 – Aug 2015
- Analyzed global and country level forecasts of unexplored systems under the Share Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) narratives including poverty, nutrition, and access to sanitation, using the center’s International futures model (IFs).
- Integrated into IFs large external databases from sources including World Bank, UNPD, IAEA, IIASA, and GTAP.
Earth Institute at Columbia University
Center for National Health Development in Ethiopia Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Data and Website Manager July 2004 – Aug 2008
Center for National Health Development in Ethiopia Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Data and Website Manager July 2004 – Aug 2008
- Developed an online database of health and health related indicators for Ethiopia.
- Managed collection, entry and cleaning of data for the Millennium Villages Project, Ethiopia.
United Nations Agencies Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Data Manager, World Health Organization Sep 2003 – Jun 2004
Information Manager, World Food Program Dec 2000 – Dec 2001
Data Manager, World Health Organization Sep 2003 – Jun 2004
- Designed and Implemented an automated prospective malaria surveillance information system in five malaria sectors in the East Shoa Zone.
Information Manager, World Food Program Dec 2000 – Dec 2001
- Developed and managed an automated system to maintain records of food-shortage hotspots in Ethiopia (Emergency Nutrition Coordination Unit).
TEACHING AND STUDENT MENTORSHIP
University of Notre Dame, Eck Institute for Global Health Notre Dame, IN
Guest Lecturer, Global Health Issues Oct. 2016 – Present
Undergraduate Student Mentor, Perkins lab. Sept. 2015 – Present
Graduate Teaching Assistant 2011 –2013
Tutor 2012
Adjunct Lecturer 2002 – 2003
University of Notre Dame, Eck Institute for Global Health Notre Dame, IN
Guest Lecturer, Global Health Issues Oct. 2016 – Present
- Climate Change and global health
- Climate, disease transmission and modeling
Undergraduate Student Mentor, Perkins lab. Sept. 2015 – Present
- Spatial dynamics of vector-borne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and Zika.
Graduate Teaching Assistant 2011 –2013
- Environmental Systems: Weather and Climate Fall 2011
- Ecological Economics Spring 2012
- Introduction to Geographic Information System Winter 2013, Spring 2013
- Computer Cartography Winter 2012
- GIS Database Design Fall 2012
Tutor 2012
- Environmental Systems: Geosphere Summer 2012
Adjunct Lecturer 2002 – 2003
- Introduction to Computer Systems Spring 2002
- Quantitative Data Analysis and Spreadsheets Fall 2002
- Database design using Microsoft Access Spring 2003
PUBLICATIONS
- Siraj AS, Perkins TA. Assessing the population at risk of Zika virus in Asia – is the emergency really over? BMJ Glob Health 2017, 2:e000309.
- Siraj AS, Oidtman RJ, Huber J, Kraemer MUG, Brady OJ, Johansson M, Perkins TA. Temperature modulates dengue virus epidemic growth rates through its effects on reproduction numbers and generation intervals. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017, 11:e0005797.
- The Zika Modeling and Projections for Vaccination Trials Collaboration (in alphabetical order): Asher J, Barker C, Chen G, Cummings D, Chinazzi M, Daniel-Wayman S, Fischer M, Ferguson N, Follman D, Halloran ME, Johansson M, Kugeler K, Kwan J, Lessler J, Longini IM, Merler S, Monaghan A, y Piontti AP, Perkins A, Prevots DR, Reiner R, Rossi L, Rodriguez-Barraquer I, Siraj AS, Sun K, Vespignani A, Zhang Q. Preliminary results of models to predict areas in the Americas with increased likelihood of Zika virus transmission in 2017. bioRXiv. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/187591.
- Perkins TA, Siraj AS, Ruktanonchai CW, Kraemer MUG, Tatem AJ. Model-based projections of Zika virus infections in childbearing women in the Americas. Nature Microbiology 2016, 1:16126.
- MJ Bouma, Siraj AS, Rodo X, Pascial M. El Niño-based malaria epidemic warning for Oromia, Ethiopia for August 2016 to July 2017. Tropical Medicine & International Health 2016, 21:1481-88.
- Siraj AS, Bouma MJ, Santos-Vega M, Yeshiwondim AK, Rothman DS, Yadeta D, Sutton PC, Pascual M. Temperature and population density determine reservoir regions of seasonal persistence in highland malaria. Proc. R. Soc. B 2015, 282: 20151383.
- Siraj AS, Santos-Vega M, Bouma M.J, Yadeta D, Ruiz Carrascal D, Pascual M. Altitudinal Changes in Malaria Incidence in Highlands of Ethiopia and Colombia. Science 2014, 343: 1154.
PRESENTATIONS, PROCEEDINGS, AND PAPERS
- Siraj, AS., Perkins TA. (Nov, 2017). Assessing the population at risk of Zika virus in Asia – is the emergency really over? Oral presentation at the 2017 Annual Meetings of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), Baltimore, MD.
- Siraj, AS., et al. (Nov, 2016). Accelerated arboviral transmission and more explosive outbreaks in a warmer world. Oral presentation at the Annual Meetings of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), Atlanta, GA.
- Siraj, AS., et al. (Jun, 2016). Temperature mediates arbovirus epidemic growth rates through its effects on reproduction numbers and generation interval. Poster session presented at the 14th Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID 2016) annual meeting, Cornell University, Itaca, NY.
- Siraj, AS., et al. (Dec, 2015). Temperature and population density determine reservoir regions of seasonal persistence in highland malaria. Poster session presented at the Epidemics 5, International Conference on Infectious Disease Dynamics, Clearwater Beach, FL.
- Siraj, AS., et al. (Apr, 2015). Persistence of malaria in epidemic prone areas. Poster session presented at the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
- American Association of Geographers
- American Geophysical Union
- American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
AWARDS
- June 2014: Outstanding graduate Student, Department of Geography and the Environment, University of Denver, CO.
- Sep 2013: The 2013 URISA GIS Scholarship: Urban and Regional Information Systems Association.
- Aug 2010: The 2010-2011 NSM Dean’s Doctoral Fellowship, University of Denver, CO.
- Jun 2008: The 2008-2009 Climate and Society Program’s Scholarship, Columbia University, NY.
COMMUNITY WORK
- Feb 1998 – May 2000: Served as the Secretary of Regional Federation of Chess, Tigray, Ethiopia; the youngest person to have held the position.
TECHNICAL SKILL
LANGUAGES
HOBBIES
- Computing: Open-MP - High performance distributed/ parallel computing
- Programing Languages: C++, Python, R, Java, FORTAN
- Database systems: MS SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MS Jet
- Statistical Programs: Stata, SAS
- GIS applications: Quantum GIS, ArcGIS, PostGIS
- Remote sensing applications: ENVI, IDRISI
LANGUAGES
- Fluent in two languages besides English: Tigrigna (spoken in Ethiopia and Eritrea), Amharic (spoken in Ethiopia), with 50 million speakers in between.
- Finished level 2 in French classes, understand with some difficulty.
HOBBIES
- Traveling: Visited seven countries in two continents, interacted with local people representing close to two dozen ethnicities and cultures.
- Hiking: Hiked on the Rocky Mountains, USA; Gheralta Mountains, Ethiopia.
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