My name is Joy Banik, and I have recently embarked on my PhD journey under Yngvild´s supervision at the Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES) within the Department of Biosciences. My research will focus on using advanced mathematical models to explore the dynamics of Lyme disease, the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. As part of this project my goal is to to expand on a stage-structured epidemiological model previously developed by our group.
Before joining CEES, I completed my master's degree at OsloMet in Applied Computer and Information Technology, majoring in mathematical modelling. My research interests focus on applying mathematics to biological models. During my time at OsloMet, I worked on disease ecology, specifically developing a modified compartmental model to represent COVID-19 transmission dynamics while incorporating realistic human behavior of carrying the virus within close regions.