Alessandro Vespignani

Why is China containing COVID-19 better than the US?

“The reduction of contacts among the population is what has really abated the epidemic in China,” says Alessandro Vespignani, who directs Northeastern’s Network Science Institute. “‘Social distancing’ works.”

by Laura Castañón and Eunice Esomonu June 26, 2020

‘A network is crucial to describe how infectious disease spreads, and this is what we do’

On Thursday, Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, joined Alessandro Vespignani, who directs the Network Science Institute, to discuss where we are now in the COVID-19 crisis, where we’re headed, and what policymakers can do to prepare for the next pandemic.

by Laura Castañón May 14, 2020

Models can predict how COVID-19 will spread. What goes into them, and how can we use what they tell us?

On Thursday, Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, will sit down for a conversation with Alessandro Vespignani, the director of Northeastern’s Network Science Institute, who is leading one of the major efforts to model this disease.

by Laura Castañón May 13, 2020

The coronavirus was in the US in January. We need to understand how we missed it.

SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, was circulating in major U.S. cities as early as January, says Alessandro Vespignani, director of Northeastern’s Network Science Institute. And if we want to keep our communities safe going forward, we need to understand how we missed a virus that was right under our noses.

by Laura Castañón April 26, 2020

Northeastern models are helping shape US COVID-19 policy

Northeastern researchers are part of the network of teams creating models to advise the Trump administration on the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., White House officials said Tuesday. They said data from the models formed the basis of the decision to extend “social distancing” guidelines through April.

by Laura Castañón and Khalida Sarwari April 1, 2020

‘Our university is here, and our opportunity is to reinvent higher education’

In times of crisis, members of the Northeastern community band together to help each other through—while using the experience to learn and plan for the future, said Joseph E. Aoun, president of the university, during a virtual town hall-style meeting Wednesday evening.

by Molly Callahan March 25, 2020

Shot of shoppers on spread-out chairs to prevent coronavirus spread

‘Social distancing’ is only the first step toward stopping the COVID-19 pandemic

After days of closures and requests—or orders—to stay home, many people caught in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic are wondering if these efforts will be enough. Network scientist Alessandro Vespignani says the answer depends on the ways that local, regional, and federal governments use the time.

by Laura Castañón March 24, 2020

Northeastern University moves to online learning at its Boston campus

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and following the guidance of public health authorities, as well as the expertise in infectious diseases of its own faculty, Northeastern University will move to online teaching for students at its Boston campus starting Thursday, March 12. Students are not required to move out of their residence halls.

by Molly Callahan March 11, 2020

Closing borders can delay, but can’t stop the spread of COVID-19, new report says

Travel restrictions will not stop the spread of COVID-19, but observing quarantines and avoiding public events gives us a chance to slow the epidemic, says Matteo Chinazzi, a research scientist in the Network Science Institute. “Closing airports will buy you time, but it’s not enough.”

by Emily Arntsen March 6, 2020

Here’s why we shouldn’t refer to COVID-19 as simply ‘coronavirus’

Since mid-February, the disease caused by the coronavirus has been known as COVID-19, short for coronavirus disease 2019, though “coronavirus” is still often used as shorthand to refer to the disease. That’s not entirely accurate.

by Molly Callahan March 2, 2020