Population Health and COVID19 Pandemic

I’m actively engaged in a research agenda focused on modeling and measuring the spread of COVID-19 through human networks and on the process of information spread during pandemics (Ford et al, 2022). The first two papers (Loring et al., 2020, 2022) emphasize the importance of considering variations in micro-geography and social networks to truly understand how COVID-19 spreads. The second paper is a comprehensive review of current strategies for modeling COVID-19, covering both micro and macro-level simulations (Jones, Hazel, & Almquist, 2020)—my current work, supported by NSF funding, centers on analyzing data collected longitudinaly over the course of the COVID19 pandemic.

Funding

• 2020 - 2023     Holland, J.H. (PI), Kline, M. (Co-PI), Smaldino, P. (Co-PI), Moya, C. (Co-PI), and Almquist, Z.W. (Co-PI). “RAPID: Coupled Contagion, Behavior-Change, and the Dynamics of Pro and Anti-Social Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Grant #BCS-2028160, NSF, Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS), Cultural Anthropology (CA). $233,283.

Peer Reviewed Articles

• Ford, J. D., D. Marengo, M. Olff, C. Armour, J. D. Elhai, Z. W. Almquist, and E. S. Spiro (2022). Temporal Trends in Health Worker Social Media Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Research in Nursing & Health 45(6).
• Loring J Thomas, Peng Huang, Fan Yin, Junlan Xu, Zack W Almquist, John R Hipp, Carter T Butts (2022). “Geographical Patterns of Social Cohesion Drive Disparities in Early COVID Infection Hazard.” Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences 119 (12).
• Thomas, L.J., P. Huang, F. Yin, X.I. Luo, Z.W. Almquist, J.R. Hipp, and C.T. Butts (2020). Spatial Heterogeneity Can Lead to Substantial Local Variations in COVID-19 Timing and Severity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117(39), 24180–24187.
• Jones, J. H., A. Hazel, and Z.W. Almquist (2020). Transmission-Dynamics Models for the SARS Coronavirus-2. American Journal of Human Biology 32(5), 1-14.

Under Review

• Yang, J., Z.W. Almquist, J.H. Jones (2024). Political and Educational Dynamics Behind the Evangelicals’ Anti-Mask Stance during COVID-19 in the U.S.