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Fields of study
Theoretical ecology, spatial ecology, population dynamics
Research interests
I am interested in theoretical ecology, more specifically, in developing not only ecological models but also in linking such models with actual datasets. One of my interest consist in include spatial heterogeneity throughout satellite images into spatially explicit models. My current research is focused on analyzing the spatial and temporal patterns of Cholera disease (Vibrio cholerae) in Bangladesh and India. I am using Geostatistical and Point Pattern Analysis tools, in order to improve the understanding of the dynamics of cholera and starting to work in a metapopulation approach.
Though I was originally trained in computer science, I am currently interested in ecology and evolutionary biology. My interest started during the last year of my university formation when I decided to develop a spatially explicit version of a metapopulation model that considers density dependent functional forms to describe the typical colonization and persistence processes. Since then my fascination for the inclusion of the spatial component into ecological model has led me to work with remote sensing and geographical information systems for several years.
More precisely, I joined the Mathematical Ecology Group at the Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires in November 1999, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Graciela Canziani. From 1999 to 2001, I was a Junior Researcher in the INCO-DC project “The Sustainable Management of Wetland Resources in Mercosur” supported by a scholarship of the European Union. I worked mainly in two research areas: metapopulation dynamics and remote sensing. During 2002 I improved my knowledge of satellite data interpretation, mainly during my visit to the University of Sienna, Italy, as well as of theoretical ecology. In 2003, I joined as a junior researcher the multidisciplinary institute on ecosystems and sustainable development, which is focused in wildlife management, fisheries, sustainability, water resources, ecological modeling, and remote sensing, among other disciplines. Later in 2003, I joined as research associate in the EEB Department here at the University of Michigan under the supervision of Mercedes Pascual. My research addressed the relationship between structure and dynamics in food webs, in particular the characteristics that enhance stability. We applied a genetic algorithm originally developed by the Center for the Study of Complex Systems to 'evolve' food web structure (both the presence of a link between species and its interaction strength) and searched for the structures with highest resilience and also lowest reactivity. I have implemented an algorithm for Cluster Analysis to examine the existence of compartments, as well as other numerical ways to follow changes in interaction strength (a factor considered to have a central role in the stabilization of communities). Last year, I worked with Mercedes to assess the spatial pattern of mortality due to cholera (V. cholerae) and its relationship with rainfall in the southern region of India, by using point pattern analysis and geostatistical techniques. This work allows us to evaluate the role of rainfall on the onset of epidemics peaks (confirming the expectation from a theoretical model developed by Pascual and Dobson) and also to classify regions as endemic or epidemic based on their dynamics.
I am very interested in spatial ecology (spatially explicit models, habitat fragmentation, invasions, spatial pattern analysis and scaling problems), community-based ecological theory and modeling metapopulation and population dynamics. Moreover, the results obtained with cholera dynamics prompted evolutionary questions, the presence of different strains and the research achieved by Katia Koelle showing strain cycling during the past, raising questions about coevolution, speciation in the context of metapopulation of infectious diseases. Furthermore, I am planning to work with cholera mortality data from Matlab, Bangladesh (1982-2004). This dataset, which is aggregated at the level of households, will provide us enough information to evaluate the different cholera contagion processes proposed (human-to-human, environment to human with several randomly distributed sources, like water ponds, or specific sources like rivers), as well as the possibility of fitting a metapopulation model. Once this first steps are accomplished more complex analyses incorporating modeling interannual variability, and evolution of the pathogen could be attempted.
Academic background
Degree: System's Engineer (Ingeniero de Sistemas) (2002). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNCPBA).
Degree Thesis (System's Engineer): "Natural Resource Management Tools: a Cellular Automata approach for Spatially Explicit Metapopulation Models" (Herramientas para el Manejo de Recursos Naturales: Modelos Metapoblacionales Espacialmente Explícitos en la Óptica de los Autómatas Celulares). Advisor: Dr. G. A. Canziani.
Advisor
Mercedes Pascual
Recent publications
Book chapters
D. Ruiz-Moreno, M. Pascual, R. Riolo (2006) "Exploring Network space with genetic algorithms: modularity, resilience and reactivity" in "Ecological Networks: Linking Structure to Dynamics in Food Webs", Eds. M. Pascual and J. A. Dunne. Oxford University Press.
G. A. Canziani, R. Ferrati, P. Federico, D. Ruiz-Moreno, F. Castets, A. Canonica, M. Gandini, L. Moreno. 2003. "Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing" in "The Ibera Wetlands. The final report from the project 'The Sustainable Management of wetland resources in Mercosur'" (In Spanish). Eds. Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina.
R. Ferrati, G. A. Canziani, D. Ruiz-Moreno, A. Aubone, M. C. Romero. 2003. " Hydrological and Hydro-meteorological Characterization of the Ibera System" in "The Ibera Wetlands. The final report from the project 'The Sustainable Management of wetland resources in Mercosur' “(In Spanish). Eds. Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina.
D. Ruiz-Moreno, G. A. Canziani, P. Federico. 2003. "Metapopulation Models and Habitat Quality" in "The Ibera Wetlands. The final report from the project 'The Sustainable Management of wetland resources in Mercosur' “(In Spanish). Eds. Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina.
Articles
D. Ruiz-Moreno, M. Pascual, M. J. Bouma, A. Dobson, and B. Cash (2007) "Cholera seasonality in Madras (1901-1940): Dual role for rainfall in endemic and epidemic regions." Ecohealth 4, 52-62.
G. A. Canziani, R. M. Ferrati, C. Rossi, D. Ruiz-Moreno (2006) "The influence of climate and dam construction on the Ibera wetlands, Argentina." Regional Environmental Change 6(4), 1–11.
R. M. Ferrati, G. A. Canziani, D. Ruiz-Moreno (2005) "Esteros del Ibera: Hydrometeorilogical and Hydrologial Characterization." Ecological Modeling 186(1):3-15.
D. Ruiz-Moreno, P. Federico, G. A. Canziani (2002). "Population Dynamics Models Based on Cellular Automata that include Habitat Quality Indices defined through Remote Sensing". "Buenos Aires 2002 - Proceedings of the 29th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE). Information for Sustainability and Development" CDR.
R. M. Ferrati, D. Ruiz-Moreno, A. Aubone, G. A. Canziani (2002). "Satellite Images as a Tool for Hydrodynamic Modeling".
"Buenos Aires 2002 - Proceedings of the 29th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE). Information for Sustainability and Development" CDR.
D. Ruiz-Moreno, P. Federico, G. A. Canziani (2001). "AC: Simulación Espacial de la Dinámica de una Población sujeta a Perturbaciones". Anales de la IX RPIC (Reunión de Procesamiento de la Información y Control), Vol. I:240-245.
R. M. Ferrati, D. Ruiz-Moreno, G. A. Canziani (2000). "Modelos de Balance Hídrico para analizar el cambio de régimen en un humedal sujeto a perturbaciones antrópicas y climáticas". Proceedings de la Conferencia Internacional Electrónica sobre Economía del Agua.
Seminars, talks and posters
Talk: “Spatial clustering in the spatio-temporal dynamics of endemic cholera.” D. Ruiz-Moreno, M. Pascual, M. Emch and Md. Yunus. Presented at: “ESA/SER (Ecological Society of America / Society for Ecological Restoration International) Joint Meeting.” San Jose, California, USA (August, 2007).
Poster: "Cholera seasonality and routes of transmission." D. Ruiz Moreno, M. Pascual, A. Dobson, M. Bouma, and B. Cash.
Presented at: Cholera Project Annual Meeting. USA (December, 2005).
Seminar: "Spatial analysis of cholera pattern in Madras and Matlab" D. Ruiz Moreno. Presented at: 2005 EEB Evaluation Series. Ann Arbor, U-Mich, USA (November, 2005).
Poster: "Cholera Seasonality, rainfall, and fade-outs: a geostatistical approach" D. Ruiz Moreno, M. Pascual, A. Dobson, M. Bouma. Presented at: "3rd Annual Ecology & Evolution of Infectious Diseases Conference" Workshop and Conference. Fort Collins, Colorado, USA (May, 2005).
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