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zinhlem@sun.ac.za
Zinhle E Mthombothi, MSc
Junior Researcher
Research theme: Rapid Response to Emerging Threats
Zinhle is a Junior Researcher at SACEMA. She is interested in using mathematical modelling to assess the effects of climate change on vector-borne diseases. Her current project utilizes mathematical models to assess the risk of dengue virus introduction and spread if successfully introduced in South Africa. She holds an MSc (Mathematics) from Stellenbosch University. Her MSc project used dynamical models to investigate the impact of temperature change on tsetse fly population dynamics. She is an alumna of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS-SA), where she graduated with an MSc (Mathematical Sciences), and Rhodes University, where she obtained BSc Honors (Mathematics).
Ms. Mthombothi is a faculty member of the Clinic on the Meaningful Modeling of Epidemiological Data (MMED), which is held annually at AIMS-SA. She is also a facilitator of the SACEMA-UNITID Epidemiological Modelling Workshop. She has also tutored short courses offered by SACEMA (Introduction to R: Management, Exploration and Communication of data; Individual-Based Modeling in Epidemiology).
Recent publications
Adetokunboh, O.O, Z.E. Mthombothi, E.M. Dominic, S. Djomba-Njankou, J.R.C. Pulliam (2021) African based researchers’ output on models for the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases and public health interventions: A scoping review PLOS One doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250086
Motaze NV, Mthombothi ZE, Adetokunboh O, Hazelbag CM, Saldarriaga EM, Mbuagbaw L, Wiysonge CS (2021) The Impact of Rubella Vaccine Introduction on Rubella Infection and Congenital Rubella Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Mathematical Modelling Studies Vaccines doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9020084
Hazelbag, C.M., J. Dushoff, E.M. Dominic, Z.E. Mthombothi, & W. Delva (2020) Calibration of individual-based models to epidemiological data: A systematic review. PLOS Computational Biology 16(5):e1007893 doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007893
Lord, J.S., Z. Mthombothi, V.K. Lagat, F. Atuhaire, & J.W. Hargrove (2017) Host-seeking efficiency can explain population dynamics of the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans in response to host density decline. PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES 11(7): e0005730. doi: 10.1371/ journal.pntd.0005730
DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis