Title: Modeling and Quantifying the Dispersal of Mosquitoes

Abstract: A major public health burden is imposed by vector-borne diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. Measures to mitigate this burden include controlling mosquito populations, and understanding their local spatial movement is central to such efforts. Using a diffusive agent-based model, we design a computational method, called Recapture of Diffusive Agents & Particle Swarm Optimization (RDA-PSO), that robustly estimates the diffusion coefficient associated with mosquito dispersal. I will highlight some mathematical tools needed for designing the code, as well as techniques for analyzing data from simulations that closely mimic mark-release-recapture field experiments. Our computational method offers a simple and reliable approach to quantify insect dispersal, overcoming several experimental limitations, such as low recapture rates and uneven capture site distribution. This is joint work with Joceline Lega.