Alexander Moffett

Hello. I am a graduate student in philosophy at the University of Texas. I am writing a dissertation on the history and philosophy of medicine, but I spend most of my time working on applied problems in conservation biology and epidemiology.

Answers to questions:

1. What are your main interests?

I am interested primarily in the ways in which social and ecological factors affect the occurrence of disease. Philosophically, this interest is responsible for my research on the history of medicine and public health and on the philosophical foundations of reductionism in medical practice. Mathematically, it is responsible for my research into the epidemiology of malaria and HIV transmission.

2. What sorts of expertise can you bring to the group?

I have some experience in the philosophy of science, decision theory, and conservation biology. I can also provide some knowledge of epidemiology and medical geography.

3. What do you hope to get out of the CSSS?

I am hoping that CSSS will provide me with a new set of mathematical tools with which to investigate the complex set of factors that affect the transmission of infectious diseases.

4. Do you have any possible projects in mind for the CSSS?

I am hoping to use agent based modeling to study the dynamics of HIV transmission in southern Africa, with the hopes of using such a model to help identify optimal intervention strategies for transmission reduction.