Faculty Spotlight: Professor Glenn Webb
Centennial Professor Glen Webb, a leading expert on the mathematics of epidemiology, is the recipient of a National Science Foundation grant, which funds an interdisciplinary research project on epdiemic disease modeling. Under this grant, Prof. Webb is collaborating with Prof. Nicole Creanza from the Vanderbilt University Department of Biology. Together they are developing mathematical models of epidemic diseases. These models account for various population structures, including the chronological ages of susceptible, infected, and vaccinated individuals, as well as the infection and vaccination ages. Understanding these age structures is crucial for analyzing disease transmission dynamics and the effectiveness of vaccinations. The models will be applied to epidemics like COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and childhood endemic diseases, and will leverage public health data to guide officials in creating policies aimed at mitigating the impact of epidemics.
In his 57 years at Vanderbilt University, Prof. Webb has published over 200 papers and received more than 30 research grants. His models have been applied to a diverse array of diseases, including COVID-19, A-H1N1, SARS, dengue, cholera, Zika, Ebola, and antibiotic-resistant infections in hospitals. His interdisciplinary approach, involving collaboration with epidemiologists, medical scientists, and healthcare providers, ensures that his work is both scientifically rigorous and practically relevant. These partnerships have allowed his research to bridge the gap between theoretical modeling and real-world application.
His most recent work, “An Epidemic Model with Infection Age and Vaccination Age Structure” (published in Infectious Disease Reports with Prof. Xinyue Zhao) investigates vaccine efficacy increases and decreases over time. It shows that the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic was due in large part to the pre-symptomatic infectious period of two days, in contrast to the coincidence of symptoms and infectiousness of SARS 2003, which did not become pandemic. It is also shown that vaccination implementation significantly reduced daily cases and high levels of vaccination implementation would have had greater reduction.
Professor Webb’s research, including his analysis of infection age and vaccination age, has transformed our understanding of how diseases spread and emphasized the role of mathematical models in guiding public health strategies. With his commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and ongoing efforts to address vaccine hesitancy, his work remains pivotal as we navigate the complexities of infectious disease control. His legacy at Vanderbilt is not only marked by academic excellence but also by an impact on global health that inspires future generations of mathematicians and public health experts alike.