The Global Epidemic and Mobility Model
In class we looked at epidemics and the spreading of an infection through the population in the form of a network. The Global Epidemic and Mobility Model or GLEAM for short is an epidemic computational model that simulates the spreading of infectious diseases in a structured population where multi-layered transportation networks exist. The GLEAMviz simulator is a software program that lets you select different infection models to test. One type of epidemic model that we looked at in class is the SIR (Susceptible, Infected, and Removed) model where individuals that are infected may later develop immunity or be removed from the population, making them no longer able to spread the infection. The SIR model is just one of the many different models that can be used in the simulation. Additionally, the simulator can be used to create an entirely new infection model from scratch if desired.
Once an infection model is selected, you can then create a simulation scenario with varying parameters such as population size, infection properties, transition values, environmental effects and transportation network activity. The simulation provides a dynamic map visualization that allows you to see the evolution of the infection and the effect of the transportation networks on the propagation of the disease throughout the tested population. The dynamic map allows for easy visualization and analysis of how varying parameters such as the probability the infection will spread, P, and the number of people an infected person comes in contact with, k, affect the infection network. Data obtained from these types of simulations can be useful in the evaluation of potential containment and prevention strategies.
The GLEAMviz simulator software was created by a research and development team at Northeastern University in Boston with help from a Complex Networks & Systems Group from the ISI Foundation in Italy.
The simulator can be downloaded here: http://www.gleamviz.org/simulator/
I was not able to get the program to work properly on my computer; however there are some interesting videos that show what the simulator is capable of and a tutorial on how to use the simulator found here: https://vimeo.com/12941123?hd=1