Linkedin-in Twitter Youtube

Person

About Jenicca Poongavanan

26848120@sun.ac.za
Jenicca Poongavanan is a spatial epidemiologist specializing in arbovirus risk modeling across Africa. Her research integrates advanced computational approaches that span modern statistics, machine learning, and AI to integrate ecological niche modeling and phylogeography to understand how viruses such as dengue and Oropouche emerge, spread, and persist in data limited regions. She has led interdisciplinary studies combining climate, mobility, and high resolution environmental data to improve early warning and disease forecasting, bridging advanced analytics with real world public health needs. Outside of research, Jenicca is an avid deep sea diver and traveler who loves exploring new places and cultures.\"

PUBLICATIONS

Spatiotemporal disease suitability prediction for Oropouche virus and the role of vectors across the Americas.
Poongavanan J, Dunaiski M, D’or G, Kraemer M, Giovanetti M, Lim A, Brady O, Baxter C, Fonseca V, Alcantara L, de Oliveira T, Tegally H, medRxiv (2025), doi: 10.1101/2025.02.28.25323068.:.

Dynamics and ecology of a multi-stage expansion of Oropouche virus in Brazil.
Tegally H, Dellicour S, Poongavanan J, Mavian C, Dor G, Fonseca V, Tagliamonte M, Dunaiski M, Moir M, Wilkinson E, de Albuquerque C, Frutuoso L, , Holmes E, Baxter C, Lessells R, Kraemer M, Lourenço J, Alcantara L, de Oliveira T, Giovanetti M, (2024), doi: 10.1101/2024.10.29.24316328.:.

Dengue virus importation risks in Africa: a modelling study.
Poongavanan J, Lourenço J, Tsui J, Colizza V, Ramphal Y, Baxter C, Kraemer M, Dunaiski M, de Oliveira T, Tegally H, The Lancet Planetary Health (2024), 8(12):e1043-e1054. doi: 10.1016/s2542-5196(24)00272-9.:.

Impacts of climate change-related human migration on infectious diseases.
Tsui JLH, Pena RE, Moir M, Inward RPD, Wilkinson E, San JE, Poongavanan J, Bajaj S, Gutierrez B, Dasgupta A, de Oliveira T, Kraemer MUG, Tegally H, Sambaturu P , Nature Climate Change (2024), 14, 793–802 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02078-z:.

Disentangling seasonal introduction and establishment risk of dengue in Africa.
Poongavanan J, Lourenço J, Tsui JHL, Colizza V, Ramphal Y, Baxter C, Kraemer MOG, Dunaiski M, de Oliveira T, Tegally H, medRxiv [Preprint] (2024), https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.05.07.24306997:.

Managing and assembling population-scale data streams, tools and workflows to plan for future pandemics within the INFORM-Africa Consortium.
Poongavanan J, Xavier J, Dunaiski M, Tegally H, Oladejo S, Ayorinde O, Wilkinson E, Baxter C, de Oliveira T, S Afr J Sci. (2024), 119(5-6):14569. doi: 10.17159/sajs.2023/14659:.

Dispersal patterns and influence of air travel during the global expansion of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.
Tegally H, Wilkinson E, Tsui JL, Moir M, Martin D, Brito AF, Giovanetti M, Khan K, Huber C, Bogoch II, San JE, Poongavanan J, Xavier JS, Candido DDS, Romero F, Baxter C, Pybus OG, Lessells RJ, Faria NR, Kraemer MUG, de Oliveira T, Cell (2023), S0092-8674(23)00641-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.06.001:.