University of Melbourne
Research Field: Applied Mathematics
Infectious diseases can spread rapidly throughout communities, and in an increasingly interconnected world, a local outbreak in one country can easily spread across national borders.
Understanding how diseases spread can help people control outbreaks, and Dr Hickson has worked on models to inform how to best control diseases. Dr Hickson has worked on teams that have modelled the risk of Ebola spreading to the Asia Pacific region, as well as identifying the best response strategies to contain that outbreak. She has also modelled the most efficient strategies for releasing vaccinated mosquitos, with the aim of preventing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
Roslyn is an enthusiastic ambassador for the mathematical sciences, she has developed maths-based activities for high school student engagement in maths, spoken at high schools, and she is a mentor and role model for the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute’s Choose Maths: Women in maths Network. Dr Hickson received her PhD from the University of New South Wales in 2010, and is currently a research fellow in the Australian Centre of Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination, at the University of Melbourne.