Ivan Specht is a PhD student in Computational and Mathematical Engineering at Stanford University and a recent graduate of Harvard College. In the Sabeti lab, he is currently developing statistical methods for inferring viral transmissions based on pathogen genome sequences. He has also published several papers on how diagnostic testing and vaccine resources may best be allocated to mitigate disease spread on university campuses. As a graduate student, he hopes to continue exploring how models of pathogen evolution can help fight pandemics on a global scale.
Ivan earned his bachelor’s degree in 2024 with a joint concentration in mathematics and statistics, receiving highest honors as well as the Thomas Temple Hoopes prize for an outstanding undergraduate thesis on outbreak reconstruction. Outside of research, he loves cooking, hiking, cycling, and traveling to remote arctic islands.