General:
Amy's research focuses on the circumstances under which human pathogens can evolve to avoid detection by molecular diagnostic tests. Using mathematical and computational methods, she addresses this problem by building modified SIR models that include explicit population genetics of pathogens. Since March of 2020, Amy has shifted her research to focus more on SARS-CoV-2. Specifically she has studied viral load and viral shedding patterns, and she plans to use this data to inform models of COVID-19 transmission potential.
Publications:
Benefield, A. E., Skrip, L. A., Clement, A., Althouse, R. A., Chang, S., & Althouse, B. M. (2020). SARS-CoV-2 viral load peaks prior to symptom onset: a systematic review and individual-pooled analysis of coronavirus viral load from 66 studies. medRxiv. Link
Zimmermann, M., Benefield, A. E., & Althouse, B. M. (2020). They stumble that run fast: the economic and COVID-19 transmission impacts of reopening industries in the US. medRxiv. Link. See associated R Shiny web app here.
Armsworth, P. R., Benefield, A. E., Dilkina, B., Fovargue, R., Jackson, H. B., Le Bouille, D., & Nolte, C. (2020). Allocating resources for land protection using continuous optimization: biodiversity conservation in the United States. Ecological Applications. Link
Benefield, A., Hartung, H., Bauer, J. (2020). The complete mitochondrial genomes of Pertusaria lichenized fungi. In preparation for target journal Mitochondrial DNA Part B.
Crain, B. J., Sanchirico, J. N., Kroetz, K., Benefield, A. E., & Armsworth, P. R. (2020). Species protection in areas conserved through community-driven direct democracy as compared with a large private land trust in California. Environmental Conservation, 47(1), 30-38. Link
Presentations:
Armsworth, P. R., Benefield, A., Dilkina, B., Fargione, J. E., Fisher, M., Fovargue, R., ... & Kroetz, K. (2019, August). Accounting for institutional structure in spatial conservation planning. In 2019 ESA Annual Meeting (August 11--16). ESA. Link
Benefield, A.E. & Flaxman, S.M. (2019, June). Molecular Diagnostics as a Driver of Pathogen Evolution. Poster and Lightening Talk presented at the 17th annual meeting of Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID), Princeton, NJ. Link - Page 103