Math Biology Seminar: Catherine Byrne

Patients with Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2) face an increased risk of contracting HIV-1 due to the optimal conditions HSV-2 lesions create for the entry and establishment of HIV-1. Using spatial stochastic models to describe the dynamics within HSV-2 infected epithelium, I quantify the risk of contracting HIV-1 based on a patient's current lesion state, and look at how different antiviral treatments may effect viral success and infection characteristics.