Dr. Michael Merson, Director of the Duke Global Health Institute, has agreed to serve as chairman of the MIDAS Steering Committee starting with the May 2008 meeting.
MIDAS (Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study) is sponsored by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. It is a collaboration of research and informatics groups to develop computational models of the interactions between infectious agents and their hosts, disease spread, prediction systems, and response strategies.
"Infectious diseases are not a thing of the past: new emerging diseases are being discovered at a rate of more than one each year," says Merson. "We need to focus not only on the prevention and treatment of these diseases among individuals, but also consider the impact they can have on populations. The MIDAS collaboration is a leader in researching the use of computational and mathematical models that can help prepare the U.S. to respond to outbreaks of infectious diseases."
Merson has served on the MIDAS Steering Committee since 2006.