# Evaluating causes of mumps reemergence with computational modeling

> **NIH NIH K01** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $125,077

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
For millennia, infectious diseases caused acute illness, long-term complications, and death. The invention of
safe and effective vaccines revolutionized health care, allowing individuals to mount protective immunity
against pathogens without suffering from illness and complications. But, recently, vaccine-preventable
diseases are reemerging nationwide. My long-term goal is to identify processes that allow continued
transmission of vaccine-preventable diseases among humans to improve and maintain efficacy of large-scale
vaccination programs using computational infectious disease modeling. The objective of this proposal is to
inform and maintain the efficacy of large-scale vaccination by investigating recent mumps reemergence.
Current research suggests two possible causes for mumps reemergence: vaccine underutilization and vaccine
mismatch. This proposal will use age-structured computational models of mumps transmission and vaccination
calibrated with disease, demographic, and RNA sequence data to determine the relationship between vaccine
utilization and mumps outbreaks (aim 1) and evaluate effectiveness of the mumps vaccine over time (aim 2).
The proposed research will provide science-based recommendations to improve the mumps vaccination
strategy (boosters and/or vaccine reformulations). The proposed research will also generate computational
tools including calibrated models of mumps transmission. Finally, this project will train an investigator to
transition to use computational models for research on infectious diseases that affect humans. To develop
expertise, the candidate will model a reemerging infectious disease that affects humans (training aim 1),
interpret computational infectious disease modeling results in their public health context (training aim 2),
deepen knowledge of virus important for human health, human immune responses, and vaccination (training
aim 3), and develop skills needed to execute a nationwide study modeling reemerging vaccine-preventable
infectious diseases (training aim 4). Training aims will be met through coursework, guided readings, guided
data tutorials, conference attendance, seminars, and research exchanges, and guided research. A highly
qualified team of mentors and collaborators with complementary expertise will guide research and training
agendas. This training plan will establish an independent research program using computational infectious
disease modeling in a combined viral ecology/evolutionary framework that will be used in an R01 proposal
investigating anticipated state and regional differences in identified mumps drivers. Together, this research will
scientifically inform more effective vaccination strategies. This proposal addresses several of NIAID’s research
priorities: (1) modeling of infectious disease agents, (2) maintaining immunity after vaccination, (3)
understanding the human immune system, (4) understanding early development of the immune system, and
(5) understa...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10197833
- **Project number:** 5K01AI146270-02
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Laura W Pomeroy
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $125,077
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10197833

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10197833, Evaluating causes of mumps reemergence with computational modeling (5K01AI146270-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10197833. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*