Maria D’Orsogna — A data-driven and mathematical modeling perspective on alcohol and drug-overdose deaths in America
The Center for Urban Science + Progress (CUSP) at NYU Tandon welcomes you to attend a lecture Maria D’Orsogna, professor of mathematics at the California State University, Northridge, and adjunct associate professor in the Department of Computational Medicine at UCLA, and environmentalist. This event, hosted as part of the Spring 2026 Urban Science Research Seminar Series, will be held in Room 1201 at 370 Jay Street.
About the Lecture
Drug and alcohol misuse remain major public health challenges in the United States. Although drug-induced mortality has declined from its pandemic-era peak, it has increased dramatically over the past few decades, driven largely by synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and methamphetamine. Alcohol abuse receives comparatively less attention but is associated with multiple chronic diseases that account for a comparable, and in some cases even greater, number of deaths. We examine the impact of substance use by stratifying mortality according to age, sex, race, and geographic region, and we analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these trends. We find that male mortality remains higher than female mortality; however, in recent years, the rate of increase for both drug and alcohol-induced mortality has been greatest among women. We also investigate how data assimilation techniques combined with mathematical modeling can be used to forecast overdose and mortality trends. Finally, we present a simple dynamical systems framework of addiction that captures how drugs disrupt affective and motivational systems in the brain. Our model integrates established psychiatric constructs within an interpretable mathematical structure and helps contextualize recent treatment strategies, including contingency management.
About the Speaker
Maria R. D’Orsogna is a Professor of Mathematics at California State University, Northridge, and a Professor of Computational Medicine at UCLA. She earned her PhD in Theoretical Physics from UCLA in 2003.
Her research spans a broad range of topics at the interface of mathematics, the social sciences, and biology. She uses tools from statistical mechanics, quantitative modeling, and data analysis to study collective decision-making, and the emergence of cooperation and conflict in human groups. Her work also includes quantifying and modeling substance abuse and psychiatric disorders, such as PTSD and major depressive disorder, as well as swarming behavior and cellular transport phenomena.
Professor D’Orsogna is the author of more than 80 scientific publications and served as Associate Director of the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics at UCLA from 2018 to 2021. Her work is supported by the National Science Foundation and the Army Research Office.
In parallel with her academic research, Professor D’Orsogna has been actively involved in environmental advocacy. Beginning in 2007, she played a leading role in grassroots efforts opposing offshore oil and gas exploitation in Italy. Her work contributed to the passage of national legislation banning drilling within 12 nautical miles of the coast and helped protect approximately 60,000 square miles of sea from oil drilling. Her advocacy combined scientific analysis, public lecturing, community organizing, and engagement with policymakers to safeguard coastal and marine environments.
Visitor Information
This event will be held in Room 1201 at 370 Jay St. Please visit the NYU Tandon website for directions and a campus map. Advance registration through Luma is required for campus access at NYU for external guests.
About the Urban Science Research Seminar Series
The Center for Urban Science + Progress’s annual Research Seminar series features leading voices in the growing field of urban informatics examining real-world challenges facing cities and urban environments around the world.