Events
NDMC Talk Series: Invited Talk by Prof. Angkana Huang, National University of Singapore
August 05, 2026
NDMC hosted Dr. Angkana Huang of the National University of Singapore for a seminar on the estimation of dengue infection risk and burden across diverse epidemiological settings.
Dr. Huang showed that different approaches, such as case surveillance and serological studies, can produce different estimates of dengue burden if observation processes such as titer kinetics and assay noise are not considered. She highlighted that these differences can be reconciled through appropriate methodological adjustments to uncover underlying infection risk and immune status. Even when age is not reported in most locations, information pooling across places can help, but must be done using appropriate covariates that reflect epidemiological links. She particularly emphasized the value of age-specific case data, explaining that it can provide estimates of dengue infection risk comparable to those obtained through more expensive serological studies.
Using examples from recent dengue outbreaks in Brazil, Dr. Huang emphasized the growing need for type-specific inference in regions where multiple dengue virus serotypes circulate. She also discussed some of the challenges associated with dengue risk and burden estimation, including computational efficiency and spatial heterogeneity.
Overall, the seminar highlighted the importance of integrating diverse data sources to strengthen disease modelling and support evidence-based public health decision-making.