Liz Fearon: Co-producing mathematics with the public

Maths on the Move

We may not notice it, but mathematics impacts our lives on a daily basis. Mathematical models inform policy decisions around the economy and public health. They are used to understand climate change and how to respond to it. They are vital in the design of public buildings and spaces. They are even used to try and prevent crime.

It seems reasonable, then, that the mathematical models should reflect people's interaction with each other and their environment, and that they should take account of people's perspectives and priorities. In this episode of Maths on the Move we talk to Liz Fearon, an epidemiologist at University College London, about a pioneering new project which aims to involve people in the production of mathematical models from the start, treating them as valued and equal members of the research team. Liz tells out about the motivation behind the project, how it works, and what she hopes to achieve.

To find out more about topics mentioned in this podcast see:

• Co-production of mathematical models — the article accompanying this podcast

• The website of the COMMET project

• Disease modelling for beginners — our introduction to some basic concepts in infectious disease modelling

• The inequalities of COVID-19 — our article exploring the role of the pandemic in amplifying social inequalities

• Tracing mpox — our article about modelling the spread of mpox.

This podcast is part of our collaboration with JUNIPER, the Joint UNIversity Pandemic and Epidemic Response modelling consortium. JUNIPER comprises academics from the universities of Cambridge, Warwick, Bristol, Exeter, Oxford, Manchester, and Lancaster, who are using a range of mathematical and statistical techniques to address pressing questions about the control of COVID-19. You can see more content produced with JUNIPER here.