Ayesha Mahmud

Ayesha Mahmud is a demographer and researcher affiliated with the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. She presented her work on population mobility and infectious disease spread in the context of megacities, particularly during holidays, using real-time data from mobile phones and social media for outbreak forecasting. Her research integrates demography, disease ecology, and planetary health to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of epidemics.

Research Interests: Dr. Mahmud's work focuses on how human population changes, environmental shifts, and travel patterns influence the timing, severity, and spread of infectious disease outbreaks. She investigates seasonal variation in epidemics, mortality burden over time, and the future impact of global demographic and environmental change on disease landscapes. Her interdisciplinary approach combines statistical methods with biologically grounded mechanistic models.

Her research utilizes diverse data sources including disease surveillance systems, hospital records, climate models, mobile phone mobility data, and population censuses, with fieldwork focused on countries across Asia, Africa, and South America. Though no publications are listed here, her methodological and thematic focus suggests strong contributions to epidemiological modeling and public health policy.

• Rockefeller Foundation Planetary Health Fellow

Advising and Grants: While no formal advisees are listed, her advanced research profile and fellowship history suggest mentorship and grant-funded research activity. As a Planetary Health Fellow at Harvard, she likely led or contributed to significant interdisciplinary research initiatives supported by external funding.

Labs and Research Teams: Though specific labs or teams are not mentioned, her work implies collaboration with interdisciplinary research groups in demography, public health, and disease modeling, likely involving partnerships across institutions and global health organizations.