Andrew Schroeder

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States Contact Info
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With over 16 years of experience in humanitarian innovation, program design, monitoring…

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Experience & Education

  • Direct Relief

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Publications

  • Measuring mobility to monitor travel and physical distancing interventions: a common framework for mobile phone data analysis

    The Lancet Digital Health

    A surge of interest has been noted in the use of mobility data from mobile phones to monitor physical distancing and model the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Despite several years of research in this area, standard frameworks for aggregating and making use of different data streams from mobile phones are scarce and difficult to generalise across data providers. Here, we examine aggregation principles and procedures for different mobile…

    A surge of interest has been noted in the use of mobility data from mobile phones to monitor physical distancing and model the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Despite several years of research in this area, standard frameworks for aggregating and making use of different data streams from mobile phones are scarce and difficult to generalise across data providers. Here, we examine aggregation principles and procedures for different mobile phone data streams and describe a common syntax for how aggregated data are used in research and policy. We argue that the principles of privacy and data protection are vital in assessing more technical aspects of aggregation and should be an important central feature to guide partnerships with governments who make use of research products.

    Other authors
    See publication

  • Understanding the Impact of Covid-19 Policy Change in the Greater Seattle Area Using Mobility Data

    Idmod.org

    To stem the spread of COVID-19, Washington State instituted increasing levels of separation policies
    between March 11 and 24, 2020, including closing schools and prohibiting large groups. These policy
    changes were supported by computational modeling, which explored social distancing at 25%, 50%, and
    75% reduction in person-to-person contact. Due to the long period between first exposure to COVID-19
    and the onset of symptoms (~5 days) , delays to seeking a test (1+ days), and time…

    To stem the spread of COVID-19, Washington State instituted increasing levels of separation policies
    between March 11 and 24, 2020, including closing schools and prohibiting large groups. These policy
    changes were supported by computational modeling, which explored social distancing at 25%, 50%, and
    75% reduction in person-to-person contact. Due to the long period between first exposure to COVID-19
    and the onset of symptoms (~5 days) , delays to seeking a test (1+ days), and time required to process
    tests (1+ days), it takes about a week for any policy changes to have an impact on case counts, and
    even longer to see an impact on COVID-19 mortality.

    Other authors
    • Hao Hu
    • Roy Burstein
    • Nikket Thakar
    • Mike Famulare
    • Daniel Klein
    See publication

  • Aggregated Mobility Data Could Help Fight Covid-19

    Science

    As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic worsens, understanding the effectiveness of public messaging and large-scale social distancing interventions is critical. The research and public health response communities can and should use population mobility data collected by private companies, with appropriate legal, organizational, and computational safeguards in place. When aggregated, these data can help refine interventions by providing near real-time information about changes in patterns…

    As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic worsens, understanding the effectiveness of public messaging and large-scale social distancing interventions is critical. The research and public health response communities can and should use population mobility data collected by private companies, with appropriate legal, organizational, and computational safeguards in place. When aggregated, these data can help refine interventions by providing near real-time information about changes in patterns of human movement.

    Other authors
    See publication

  • Rapid Forecasting of Cholera Risk in Mozambique: Translational Challenges and Opportunities

    Prehospital and Disaster Medicine

    Disasters, such as cyclones, create conditions that increase the risk of infectious disease outbreaks. Epidemic forecasts can be valuable for targeting highest risk populations before an outbreak. The two main barriers to routine use of real-time forecasts include scientific and operational challenges. First, accuracy may be limited by availability of data and the uncertainty associated with the inherently stochastic processes that determine when and where outbreaks happen and spread. Second…

    Disasters, such as cyclones, create conditions that increase the risk of infectious disease outbreaks. Epidemic forecasts can be valuable for targeting highest risk populations before an outbreak. The two main barriers to routine use of real-time forecasts include scientific and operational challenges. First, accuracy may be limited by availability of data and the uncertainty associated with the inherently stochastic processes that determine when and where outbreaks happen and spread. Second, even if data are available, the appropriate channels of communication may prevent their use for decision making.

    In April 2019, only 6 weeks after Cyclone Idai devastated Mozambique’s central region and sparked a cholera outbreak, Cyclone Kenneth severely damaged northern areas of the country. By June 10, a total of 267 cases of cholera were confirmed, sparking a vaccination campaign. Prior to Kenneth’s landfall, a team of academic researchers, humanitarian responders, and health agencies developed a simple model to forecast areas at highest risk of a cholera outbreak. The model created risk indices for each district using combinations of four metrics: (1) flooding data; (2) previous annual cholera incidence; (3) sensitivity of previous outbreaks to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle; and (4) a diffusion (gravity) model to simulate movement of infected travelers. As information on cases became available, the risk model was continuously updated. A web-based tool was produced, which identified highest risk populations prior to the cyclone and the districts at-risk following the start of the outbreak.

    Here, the science behind these forecasts and the organizational structure of this collaborative effort are discussed. The barriers to the routine use of forecasts in crisis settings are highlighted, as well as the potential for flexible teams to rapidly produce actionable insights for decision making using simple modeling tools, both before and during an outbreak.

    See publication

  • Localising Humanitarian Drones: Robotics for Good from the Maldives to Malawi

    Radiant Earth

    As we’ve seen the world over, from the Maldives to Malawi, drones on their own aren’t valuable unless they’re embedded in strong analytic, policy, and partnership networks. This integrated local approach is the core principle of WeRobotics’ work in humanitarianism, which we’re calling AidRobotics. The activities that makeup AidRobotics focus on building knowledge, skills, and technical capacity at all levels of government and amongst local networks of non-profit and private stakeholders at the…

    As we’ve seen the world over, from the Maldives to Malawi, drones on their own aren’t valuable unless they’re embedded in strong analytic, policy, and partnership networks. This integrated local approach is the core principle of WeRobotics’ work in humanitarianism, which we’re calling AidRobotics. The activities that makeup AidRobotics focus on building knowledge, skills, and technical capacity at all levels of government and amongst local networks of non-profit and private stakeholders at the forefront of global risk.

    See publication

  • Localising Robotics for Good

    Crisis Response Journal

    On the need for effective localisation of humanitarian robotics projects.

    See publication

  • Factors influencing survival among Kenyan children diagnosed with endemic Burkitt lymphoma between 2003 and 2011: A historical cohort study

    International Journal of Cancer

    Discovering how to improve survival and establishing clinical reference points for children diagnosed with endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL) in resource‐constrained settings has recaptured international attention. Using multivariate analyses, we evaluated 428 children with eBL in Kenya for age, gender, tumor stage, nutritional status, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) and Plasmodium falciparum prior to induction of chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, vincristine…

    Discovering how to improve survival and establishing clinical reference points for children diagnosed with endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL) in resource‐constrained settings has recaptured international attention. Using multivariate analyses, we evaluated 428 children with eBL in Kenya for age, gender, tumor stage, nutritional status, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) and Plasmodium falciparum prior to induction of chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, methotrexate and doxorubicin) to identify predictive and prognostic biomarkers of survival. During this 10 year prospective study period, 22% died in‐hospital and 78% completed six‐courses of chemotherapy. Of those, 16% relapsed or died later; 31% achieved event‐free‐survival; and 31% were lost to follow‐up; the overall one‐year survival was 45%. After adjusting for covariates, low hemoglobin (<8 g/dL) and high LDH (>400 mU/ml) were associated with increased risk of death (adjusted Hazard Ratio (aHR) = 1.57 [0.97–2.41]) and aHR = 1.84, [0.91–3.69], respectively). Anemic children with malaria were 3.55 times more likely to die [1.10–11.44] compared to patients without anemia or malarial infection. EBV load did not differ by tumor stage nor was it associated with survival. System‐level factors can also contribute to poor outcomes. Children were more likely to die when inadvertently overdosed by more than 115% of the correct dose of cyclophosphamide (aHR = 1.43 [0.84–2.43]) or doxorubicin (aHR = 1.25, [0.66–2.35]), compared with those receiving accurate doses of the respective agent in this setting. This study codifies risk factors associated with poor outcomes for eBL patients in Africa and provides a benchmark by which to assess improvements in survival for new chemotherapeutic approaches.

    See publication

  • Automation for the people: opportunities and challenges of humanitarian robotics

    Overseas Development Institute - Humanitarian Practice Network

    In order to keep up with the rapid pace of global social and technological change, the UAViators network is in the process of transforming into a new institutional framework called WeRobotics.+
    Aerial robots may be the first wave of robotics innovation to hit the humanitarian community, but the second and third waves are already on the horizon: industry and academia are making tremendous strides in both terrestrial and maritime robotics like the self-driving vehicles developed by Google and…

    In order to keep up with the rapid pace of global social and technological change, the UAViators network is in the process of transforming into a new institutional framework called WeRobotics.+
    Aerial robots may be the first wave of robotics innovation to hit the humanitarian community, but the second and third waves are already on the horizon: industry and academia are making tremendous strides in both terrestrial and maritime robotics like the self-driving vehicles developed by Google and others and the Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) being used for environmental research. Like aerial robots, terrestrial and maritime robots will significantly extend people’s ability to collect data and transport payloads in many of the world’s most vulnerable societies. Fortunately we aren’t starting from scratch this time.

    See publication

  • Tsui Hark's Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain

    Hong Kong University Press

    Hong Kong cinema exploded into world culture during the 1990s, driven by its linkage with Hollywood’s dynamic new digital special effects technologies. This book provides essential historical background to that remarkable set of events by analyzing the culture, political and technological network surrounding Tsui Hark’s masterful but under-appreciated Zu Warriors From the Magic Mountain. Schroeder examines how the film transformed Hong Kong action cinema from the 1980s to the present, which…

    Hong Kong cinema exploded into world culture during the 1990s, driven by its linkage with Hollywood’s dynamic new digital special effects technologies. This book provides essential historical background to that remarkable set of events by analyzing the culture, political and technological network surrounding Tsui Hark’s masterful but under-appreciated Zu Warriors From the Magic Mountain. Schroeder examines how the film transformed Hong Kong action cinema from the 1980s to the present, which resulted in its rise as a dominant transnational style in close affiliation with the transformation of Hollywood cinema into a digital technology driven global enterprise.

    See publication

Projects

Honors & Awards

  • Esri President's Award

    Esri

    http://www.esri.com/esri-news/releases/13-3qtr/direct-relief-receives-presidents-award-for-outstanding-use-of-gis
    "GIS tools have revolutionized our ability to assist people in need and to show precisely what every charitable dollar of assistance is used for at each and every health facility we support around the world," says Andrew Schroeder, director of research and analysis at Direct Relief. "So many people recognize that enormous needs exist in the world, and they want to know that…

    http://www.esri.com/esri-news/releases/13-3qtr/direct-relief-receives-presidents-award-for-outstanding-use-of-gis
    "GIS tools have revolutionized our ability to assist people in need and to show precisely what every charitable dollar of assistance is used for at each and every health facility we support around the world," says Andrew Schroeder, director of research and analysis at Direct Relief. "So many people recognize that enormous needs exist in the world, and they want to know that their contribution will make a difference. These tools are incredibly powerful in enabling Direct Relief to demonstrate that to every donor."

Organizations

  • Non-Communicable Disease Alliance

    Expert advisor on non-communicable disease and Covid-19 recovery

    - Present

    Member of the international expert advisory group for the Non-Communicable Disease Alliance (https://ncdalliance.org/) on the role of NCDs in global recovery from Covid-19.

  • Facebook.com

    Health Data Advisory Group

    - Present

    Participating as one of the members of an international expert group convened to advise Facebook on health data collection and applications.

  • UAViators Humanitarian UAV Network

    Core organizing group

    - Present

    www.uaviators.org

  • American Public Health Association

    Member

    - Present

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