Monica Cojocaru

Instrumentation and Capabilities

Prof. Cojocaru has setup an HQP lab since 2008 in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics. The lab (called Networks and Dynamics Lab”) benefits from PC stations, white boards and discussion room, etc.

Education and Employment Background

Prof. Cojocaru received her Ph.D. in Mathematics at Queen’s University in 2002. She held an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre des Researches Mathematiques (CRM) in Montreal in 2003. She then held several visiting positions at the Centre des Researches Mathematiques, at the Fields Institute, Harvard, Northwestern Universities, University of Brescia, and Lehigh University. She held one of only two Canada-US Fulbright Visiting Research Chair positions awarded in 2010 at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Prof. Cojocaru joined the University of Guelph in 2003.

Research Themes

Prof. Cojocaru conducts independent and collaborative research that furthers our understanding of the mathematical theory involved in the time-evolution of equilibrium problems, as they are formulated from applications. Her research focuses on the general area of non-smooth dynamical and complex systems. Cojocaru studies equilibrium problems which encompass the mathematical modelling of economic (Wardrop), game theoretic (Nash), and physical equilibria. Theoretical research in this area answers questions about existence, uniqueness, stability and sensitivity of equilibria for a wide range of applied problems (transportation, Nash/Cournot, network (social and environmental), dynamic and evolutionary games). In parallel with equilibrium problems, Cojocaru has evolved the applications to and the modelling of population health as pertains to individuals’ behaviour vis-a-vis of vaccination, infectious diseases spread and a populations’ adoption of new norms, be them environmental, health or socio-economically driven.

Key areas of focus include:

1. Solutions, computation, and stability of solutions for Generalized Nash Games. Generalized Nash Games were introduced as far back as the 60's, however they are now coming to the forefront from a theoretical as well as an application perspective. These are games where, in addition to a player's payoff being dependent on other players choices, each player's strategy set is also dependent upon the other players' choices. Prof. Cojocaru is interested in the links between generalized Nash strategies and replicator dynamics in a math biological sense. She is currently collaborating with a group at the University of Limoges on AI methods in generalized Nash games.
2. Dynamics of human behaviour at individual and population levels. Environmental issues are at the forefront of our social lives and most policy makers are studying the best policies and strategies towards a decrease in harmful emissions and in consumption of non-renewable resources. Such policies need solid models of individual and population behaviour, since no policy is successful unless it is adopted by a high enough population mass.
3. Mathematical modelling, optimization, and game theory in population health. Prof. Cojocaru has examined applications of dynamic games in vaccination behaviour, and specifically, the problem of modelling strategic interactions of various groups within a population under voluntary vaccination policy. Cojocaru and her group are modelling infection spread in child care facilities and have contributed three publications on COVID-19's impact on the population of Ontario, Canada and specifically towards school reopening policies in pandemic times.

Highlights

• France-Canada Research Fund 2020-2021 (awarded) - together with Dr. S. Adly's group at the University of Limoges, France
• NSERC Collaborative Research and Development Grant, 2019-2021
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Accelerator Award 2017-2020
• NSERC Discovery Grant, 2017-2022
• NSERC Engage Grant $24,000 CAD 2016-2017
• Canada-US Fulbright Foundation Eco-Leadership Award, The Fulbright Foundation, 2013-2014

Media Coverage

• Toronto Star: A researcher at U of G is mapping toddlers movements to find out how they spread germs | The Star
• Global News: Guelph prof uses math to map how toddlers spread germs
• Guelph Bugle: Infection Prevention