معرفی
Ailene MacPherson is an Assistant Professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the Department of Mathematics at Simon Fraser University (SFU), located in Burnaby, British Columbia. Her work bridges mathematics, statistics, and biology to address questions in evolution, ecology, and epidemiology. She develops phylodynamic methods to understand disease spread and severity, particularly focusing on host and pathogen genetics. Her research also explores long-term coevolutionary interactions between hosts and pathogens.
Dr. MacPherson holds a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of British Columbia (2020). Her research interests include mathematical modeling of epidemiological dynamics, evolutionary biology, and the application of phylogenetic tools to study infectious diseases. She is affiliated with SFU’s Faculty of Science and teaches courses such as Mathematics for the Life Sciences II (MATH 155).
Her research highlights include investigating how sampling bias affects viral phylogeographic reconstructions and the role of seed masting in plant-pathogen interactions. She has contributed to understanding SARS-CoV-2 evolution during endemic phases and the impact of multi-host transmission on disease diversity. Her work emphasizes the interplay between ecological, evolutionary, and epidemiological processes.
Dr. MacPherson has received the prestigious Tier 2 Canada Research Chair, recognizing her innovative contributions to mathematical and statistical approaches in biological systems. Her lab focuses on integrating data-driven models to address pressing questions in ecology and public health, with applications ranging from wildlife disease management to human infectious disease control.
