TITLE:  Operations Research and Public Health

SPEAKER: Margaret L. Brandeau

ABSTRACT:

What is the most cost-effective way to use
limited
HIV
prevention and treatment resources?  How
should the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revise national
immunization recommendations so that gaps in vaccination coverage will
be
filled in a cost-effective manner?  To
what extent should local communities stockpile antibiotics for response
to a
potential bioterror attack?  How can
humanitarian relief organizations manage their inventories most
effectively?  This talk will describe
examples from past and ongoing model-based analyses of public health
policy
questions.  We also provide perspectives
on key elements of a successful policy analysis and discuss ways in
which such
analysis can influence policy.

 About the Speaker

 Margaret
Brandeau is
Professor of Management Science and Engineering and Professor of
Medicine (by
Courtesy) at Stanford
University.  Her research focuses on the development of
applied mathematical and economic models to support health policy
decisions.  Her recent work has focused
on HIV prevention and treatment programs, programs to control the
spread of Hepatitis
B virus, and evaluating preparedness plans for bioterror response.  She is a Fellow of the Institute for
Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), and has received
the
President’s Award from INFORMS (recognizing important contributions to
the
welfare of society), the Pierskalla Prize from INFORMS (for research
excellence
in health care management science), and a Presidential Young
Investigator Award
from the National Science Foundation, among other awards. 
Professor Brandeau earned a BS in Mathematics
and an MS in Operations Research from MIT, and a PhD in
Engineering-Economic
Systems from Stanford
University.