Since October 2015, Irene works as a PhD student at the RIVM and the Leiden University Medical Center. Her research aims to understand how between-strain interactions influence infectious disease dynamics. For instance, competitive interactions between strains may reduce the effect of vaccination. Consequently, knowledge of multi-strain interactions can help develop an adequate vaccination program and, therefore, successfully combat and prevent infectious diseases.
Background
After obtaining her bachelor in Applied Mathematics, Irene did her masters in Statistics, Probability and Operations Research at the University of Technology Eindhoven. This study focused on modeling systems in the industry as well as systems in nature. During her graduation project, Irene worked on data-driven methods of optimizing the maintenance of medical imaging system.