Point processes and their application to modeling drug seizure and overdose interactions

Abstract

In this talk we first provide an introduction to point processes, which are stochastic models for the occurrence of events in space and time. We then discuss the application of point processes to investigate the relationship between law enforcement drug seizures and accidental overdoses in Indianapolis. We will also discuss results from a field-experiment in Indianapolis where point process based harm indices were used to inform the distribution of addiction treatment information. 

Brief Biography

George Mohler is a Daniel J. Fitzgerald Professor, affiliated to the Department of Computer Science at Boston College. His research focuses on statistical and deep learning approaches to solving problems in spatial, urban and network data science.  Several current projects include modeling and causal inference for overdose and social harm event data, fairness and interpretability in criminal justice forecasting, and modeling viral processes and link formation on social networks.