Bokil Mathematical Biology Research Group

Current Research Projects

Multiscale Vectored Plant Diseases


Collaborators: Linda J. S. Allen (Texas Tech U.), Alison Power (Cornell), Lou Gross (UTK), Mike Jeger (Imperial College, UK), Nick Cunnife (Cambridge, UK), Zhilan Feng (Purdue), Cherie Briggs (UCSD), Karen Garett (KSU), Frank Hilker (Germany/Institute of Applied Systems, Osnabruck Univ.), Fred Hamelin (Agrocampus Ouest,France), Carrie Manore (Tulane/LANL), Megan Rua (Wayne State)
Funding Co-PI, NIMBioS Working Group: Multiscale Vectored Plant Viruses, National Institute of Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), UT Knoxville. (Co-PIs) Linda J. S. Allen (Texas Tech U.) and A. Power (Cornell). Full Title: Multiscale aspects of vector transmission of plant viruses.
Meeting dates :
  1. Meeting # 1: Dec 14-16, 2015;
  2. Meeting # 2: Jun 22-24, 2016;
  3. Meeting # 3: Dec 19-23, 2016;
  4. Meeting # 4: Dec 18-20, 2017;
  5. Meeting # 5: Aug 7-9, 2019.
  6. Latest working group meeting cancelled due to Covid-19.

This project involves current problems related to multiscale aspects of the spatial and temporal transmission and the evolution of vectored plant viruses. The goals are to derive novel mathematical, statistical, and computational methods that incorporate multiple hosts and multiple pathogens operating at varying spatial and temporal scales to bring insight into the effects of climate change and human activities on the emergence of new plant viruses.

Publications:

  1. Frederic Hamelin, Linda J. S. Allen, Vrushali A. Bokil, Louis J. Gross, Frank Hilker, Michael J. Jeger, Carrie A. Manore, Alison G. Power, Megan A. Rua, and Nik J. Cunniffe, Coinfections by non-interacting pathogens are not independent and require new tests of interaction, online, PLOS Biol., 2019. Also, see Bioarxiv paper
  2. Frank M. Hilker, Linda J. S. Allen, Vrushali A. Bokil, Cheryl J. Briggs, Zhilan Feng, Karen A. Garrett, Louis J. Gross, Frederic M. Hamelin, Michael J. Jeger, Carrie A. Manore, Alison G. Power, Margaret G. Redinbaugh, Megan A. Rua, and Nik J. Cunniffe. Modelling virus coinfection to inform management of maize lethal necrosis in Kenya. Phytopathology, 2017. [Altmetric Score ].

Stochastic Models and Optimal Control for Vectored Plant Disease Systems


Collaborators: Linda J. S. Allen (Texas Tech U.), Fred Hamelin (Agrocampus Ouest, Rennes, France)
This project involves construction and analysis of stochastic models based on continuous time Markov chains (CTMC) and stochastic differential equations (SDEs) for the spread of vectored plant diseases. Our case studies are the Barley/Cereal Yellow dwarf virus (B/CYDV) suite and the African Cassava Mosaic virus (ACMV). Optimal Control for controlling the spread of these viruses in crop systems is also an important part of this project.

Publications:

  1. Linda J. S. Allen, Vrushali A. Bokil, Nik J. Cunniffe, Frederic M. Hamelin, Frank M. Hilker, Michael J. Jeger, Modelling Vector Transmission and Epidemiology of Co-infecting Plant Viruses, published online, Special Issue on "Plant Virus Transmission by Vectors", Viruses, 2019. pdf version
  2. V. A. Bokil, L. J. S. Allen, M. J. Jeger and S. Lenhart, Optimal Control of a Vectored Plant Disease Model for a Crop with Continuous Replanting, published online, Journal of Biological Dynamics, 2019.

Current Funding

  1. Mathematical epidemiology of viruses coinfecting plants: Modeling, Analysis and Optimal Control Strategies, funded by the Thomas Jefferson Fund launched by the French-American Cultural Exchange (FACE) Foundation  Along with French collaborator and co-PI, Professor Frederic Hamelin of Agrocampus Ouest in Rennes, France, this project will study coinfection in viral plant epidemics.

  2. Optimal Control of Stochastic Epidemics, funded by the College of Science Research and Innovation Seed (SciRIS-II). In this project we address the modeling of coinfecting viruses in plants. Our goals are to use stochastic models and optimal control theory to understand the mechanisms that drive patterns of coinfection in plant populations and the effective techniques that can control spread of disease.

Past Funding

  1. Stochastic models for the spread of a vector transmitted viral disease in plant populations Short Term Visit to NIMBioS with Linda Allen (Mathematics & Statistics, Texas Tech Univ.) and Suzanne Lenhart (Mathematics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville). Visit Dates: December 10-20, 2012 National Institute of Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), UT Knoxville, TN. Short Term Visit (V. A. Bokil and L. J. S. Allen)

  2. Co-PI, NIMBioS Investigative Workshop: Vectored Plant Diseases
    (Co-PIs) Linda J. S. Allen (Texas Tech U.), E. T. Borer (U. Minnesota), and A. Power (Cornell)

  3. PI, NSF-AWM Mentoring Travel Award Stochastic Patch Models for the Spread of Disease in Heterogeneous Landscapes with Linda J. S. Allen, Texas Tech University
    2010-2011. Participated in the NIMBioS workshop

Links:

Dr. Bokil's Departmental Homepage
Department of Mathematics Events
Department of Mathematics
Oregon State University