Juan E. Sereno, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Idaho

About Me

Juan E. Sereno

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Idaho, Department of Mathematics and Statistical Science, in the SMID Lab under the supervision of Prof. Esteban Hernandez-Vargas. Previously, I obtained my Ph.D. in Mathematical Engineering from the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina, where I worked on the design of predictive controllers for hybrid systems with applications to socio-biomedical processes, under the supervision of Prof. Alejandro H. Gonzalez.

I am currently seeking postdoctoral appointments for the next academic year, starting around August 2026. Please feel free to get in touch if you are interested in my research!

  • Name: Juan Esteban Sereno Mesa
  • Title: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  • E-mail: jserenom@uidaho.edu
  • Institution: University of Idaho

 

Research Interests

My research interests include Mathematical Modelling, Model Predictive Control (MPC), Adaptive Control, Nonlinear Mixed-Integer Optimization, Infectious Diseases, Diabetes, and Digital Twins. I focus on designing advanced control strategies for biomedical and epidemiological systems, combining theoretical rigor with practical applicability.

I am open to research discussion and collaboration. Please feel free to reach out!

News

  • 2025: New paper published - "Iterative calibration of medical digital twins via adaptive estimators" in Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics
  • 2025: New paper published - "Time-Constrained MPC approach for switched nonlinear systems" in IEEE Control Systems Letters
  • 2025: Paper accepted at the 64th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - "Adaptive Observers for Calibrating Immune Digital Twins in Viral Infections"
  • 09/2024: Started Postdoctoral Research Fellow position at the University of Idaho, SMID Lab
  • 2024: Completed Ph.D. in Mathematical Engineering at Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina
  • 2023: Paper published - "Switched NMPC for epidemiological and social-economic control objectives in SIR-type systems" in Annual Reviews in Control
  • 2022: Paper published - "Minimizing the epidemic final size while containing the infected peak prevalence in SIR systems" in Automatica

Biography

Education

Ph.D. in Mathematical Engineering

2018 - 2024

Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Argentina

Thesis: "Design of Predictive Controllers for Hybrid Systems: Application to Socio-Biomedical Processes"

Advisor: Prof. Alejandro Hernán González

M.Sc. in Engineering - Industrial Automation

2017 - 2021

Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Minas, Colombia

Thesis: "Automatic Personalization of Glycemic Control Strategies for Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus"

Advisor: Prof. P. S. Rivadeneira

B.E. in Control Engineering

2012 - 2017

Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Minas, Colombia

Final Project: "Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus"

Advisor: Prof. P. S. Rivadeneira

Academic Appointments

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Sep 2024 - Present

University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA

Advisor: Prof. Esteban Hernandez-Vargas

Research areas: Adaptive Digital Twins for personalized medicine. In the SMID Lab, Department of Mathematics and Statistical Science.

Doctoral Scholarship Researcher

Apr 2018 - Apr 2024

Universidad Nacional del Litoral / INTEC-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina

Advisor: Prof. Alejandro H. González

Research areas: MPC controllers for switched systems adapted to epidemiological outbreak scenarios. Dynamical System and Control Group.

Teaching Experience

Teaching Assistant - Mathematics A

2022 - 2024

Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Facultad de Ingeniería Química

Teaching Assistant - Analog Electronics II

2014 - 2015

Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Minas

Awards

Doctoral Internal Scholarship

2018

CONICET - National Council of Scientific and Technical Research, Argentina

First Place - Area of Suitable Technologies

2017
Otto de Greiff

National Competition of Best Final Degree Projects Otto de Greiff, 21st edition, Bogotá, Colombia

Best Final Degree Project

2017
Mejor Grado

Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín campus, School of Mines

Selected Research

Adaptive Digital Twins for Personalized Medicine

My current research focuses on developing adaptive digital twins for personalized medicine, combining mathematical modelling with adaptive estimation techniques. We develop iterative calibration methods for medical digital twins using adaptive estimators, enabling the personalization of treatment strategies based on individual patient data. This work bridges the gap between theoretical control systems and practical biomedical applications, particularly in the context of viral infections and immune system dynamics.

Related Publications:

Frontiers in Applied Mathematics 2025 2025 IEEE 64th CDC


Model Predictive Control for Switched Nonlinear Systems

A core part of my research involves the design of MPC controllers for switched nonlinear systems with applications to biomedical problems. I developed time-constrained MPC approaches that handle the complexities of switched systems. These methods have been successfully applied to epidemiological outbreak control, including the design of optimal social distancing measures and vaccination strategies for SIR-type systems.

Related Publications:

IEEE L-CSS 2025 Annual Reviews in Control 2023


Epidemic Control and Optimal Intervention Strategies

I have worked extensively on the mathematical modeling and control of epidemic outbreaks, including the design of optimal social distancing policies and switched control strategies. My research addresses the challenge of balancing public health objectives with socio-economic considerations during epidemic scenarios. Key contributions include methods for minimizing the epidemic final size while constraining the infected peak, and switched NMPC approaches that jointly optimize epidemiological and economic objectives.

Related Publications:

Automatica 2022 Latin American Applied Research 2023


Artificial Pancreas and Glycemic Control

My earlier research focused on glycemic control strategies for patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, including meal detection algorithms, carbohydrate estimation, and the design of artificial pancreas systems. This work combined feedback control schemes with biomedical signal processing to develop personalized control strategies for insulin delivery, addressing challenges such as circadian variability and patient-specific parameter tuning.

Related Publications:

Biomedical Signal Processing 2021 2017 IEEE 3rd CCAC

Talks

Parameter Inference in Immune Digital Twins: A Stochastic Adaptive Filtering Approach

Date: June 16, 2026 | Venue: Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA

The Digital Twin paradigm relies on three fundamentals: a mechanistic software replica, longitudinal object-specific data, and a dynamic inference framework to iteratively update the model. While the potential for personalized medicine is substantial, the inherent stochasticity of the immune response makes the iterative parameter inference a sweeping task. Here, we present a data-driven framework for the iterative updating of immune digital twins using stochastic adaptive filters.

View Slides (PDF)

Adaptive Observers for Medical Digital Twins: A Framework for Personalized Medicine

Date: February 19, 2026 | Venue: University of Idaho, Department of Mathematics and Statistical Science

In this colloquium I presented preliminarily results of my current work on adaptive observers applied to medical digital twins, enabling virtual replicas of patients to continuously synchronize with real-time physiological data. Unlike traditional batch-based identification algorithms, this approach uses adaptive observers to jointly estimate unmeasurable states and monitor critical biological markers. Applications include predicting HIV trajectories and tracking antimicrobial resistance in personalized medicine.

View Slides (PDF)

Understanding SIR-type epidemic behaviors through set-based dynamic analysis

Date: October 10, 2024 | Venue: University of Idaho, Department of Mathematics and Statistical Science

In this talk I presented my PhD results at the University of Idaho: A set-based dynamic analysis of SIR-type systems to discuss realistic implementation of finite-time interval social distancing measures. The work focuses on minimizing the Epidemic Final Size while keeping the Infected Peak Prevalence controlled at any time, while minimizing the intervention's side effects.

View Slides (PDF)

Publications

Journal Articles

J10. Iterative calibration of medical digital twins via adaptive estimators
Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics, 11, 1699390, 2025.
Sereno, J. E., Neujahr, Havilah, Hernandez-Gonzalez, Miguel, & Hernandez-Vargas, E. A.
PDF
J9. Time-Constrained MPC Approach for Switched Nonlinear Systems With Applications to Biomedical Problems
IEEE Control Systems Letters, 9, 949-954, 2025.
Sereno, J. E., D'Jorge, A., Hernandez-Vargas, E. A., & González, A. H.
PDF
J8. Switched NMPC for epidemiological and social-economic control objectives in SIR-type systems
Annual Reviews in Control, 56, 100901, 2023.
Sereno, J. E., D'Jorge, A., Ferramosca, A., Hernandez-Vargas, E. A., & González, A. H.
PDF
J7. Impacts of Quantifying Social Distancing Measures on MPC Performance for SIR-Type Systems
Latin American Applied Research, 53(4), 417-422, 2023.
Sereno, J., Ferramosca, A., González, A., & D'Jorge, A.
PDF
J6. Minimizing the epidemic final size while containing the infected peak prevalence in SIR systems
Automatica, 144, 110496, 2022.
Sereno, J., Anderson, A., Ferramosca, A., Hernandez-Vargas, E. A., & González, A. H.
PDF
J5. Model predictive control for optimal social distancing in a type SIR-switched model
IFAC-PapersOnLine, 54(15), 251-256, 2021.
Sereno, Juan E., D'Jorge, A., Ferramosca, A., Hernandez-Vargas, E. A., & González, A. H.
PDF
J4. Meal detection and carbohydrate estimation based on a feedback scheme with application to the artificial pancreas
Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, 68, 102715, 2021.
Godoy, J. L., Sereno, J. E., & Rivadeneira, P. S.
PDF
J3. Nuevas estrategias de control glucémico en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 1
Revista Iberoamericana de Automática e Informática, 16(2), 238-248, 2019.
Rivadeneira, P. S., Sereno, J. E., Caicedo, M. A.
PDF
J2. Artificial pancreas: glycemic control strategies for avoiding hypoglycemia
Dyna, 85(207), 198-207, 2018.
Sereno, J. E., Caicedo, M. A., Rivadeneira, P. S.
PDF
J1. Blood glycemia reconstruction from discrete measurements using an impulsive observer
IFAC-PapersOnLine, 50(1), 14723-14728, 2017.
Rivadeneira, P. S., Sereno, J. E., Magdelaine, N., Moog, C. H.
PDF

 

Book Chapters

B1. Impulsive MPC schemes for biomedical processes: Application to type 1 diabetes
In Control Applications for Biomedical Engineering Systems (pp. 55-87). Academic Press, 2020.
Rivadeneira, P. S., Godoy, J. L., Sereno, J. E., Abuin, P., Ferramosca, A., González, A. H.
PDF

 

Conference Papers

C9. Adaptive Observers for Calibrating Immune Digital Twins in Viral Infections
To be presented at the 64th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), 2025. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Rodriguez-Liñan, Angel, Sereno, J. E., Quiroz-Compean, Griselda, & Hernandez-Vargas, E. A.
PDF
C8. A new Approach in Zone Model Predictive Control for Type 1 Diabetes to be Tested in Colombia
In Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (Vol. 20, pp. A86-A87), Vienna, Austria, 2018.
Rivadeneira, P. S., Caicedo, M. A., Sereno, J. E.
PDF
C7. A performance comparison between standard and impulsive ZMPC on type 1 diabetic patients
In 2017 IEEE 3rd Colombian Conference on Automatic Control (CCAC) (pp. 1-6). IEEE, 2017.
Sereno, J. E., González, A. H., & Rivadeneira, P. S.
PDF
C6. Artificial vision system for differential multiples robots
In 2016 Technologies Applied to Electronics Teaching (TAEE) (pp. 1-5). IEEE, Sevilla, Spain, 2016.
Sereno, J. E., Bolaños, F., Vallejo, M.
PDF
C5. Description of the positively invariant sets of a type 1 diabetic patient model
In 2016 Latin American Conference on Automatic Control (CLCA). IFAC, Medellín, Colombia, 2016.
Mohammadridha, T., Rivadeneira, P. S., Sereno, J. E., Cardelli, M., Moog, C. H.
PDF
C4. Propuesta pedagógica para el desarrollo de un curso en robótica básica
III International Congress of Engineering Mechatronics and Automation, Cartagena, Colombia, 2014.
Juan Sereno, Eliana I. Arango-Zuluaga, and Freddy Bolaños
PDF
C3. Closed-loop MPC-based artificial pancreas: Handling circadian variability of insulin sensitivity
En 2020 Congreso Argentino en Control Automático (AADECA). Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2020.
Abuin, P., Sereno, J. E., Ferramosca, A., & Gonzalez, A. H.
PDF
C2. In Silico Test for MPC and SMC Controllers Under Parametric Variations in Type 1 Diabetic Patients
In 2018 Congreso Argentino en Control Automático (AADECA). Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2018.
Sereno, J. E., Caicedo, M. A., Rivadeneira, P. S., & Camacho, O. E.
PDF
C1. Auto-tuning for model predictive controllers in patients with type 1 diabetes
In 2018 Congreso Argentino en Control Automático (AADECA). Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2018.
Sereno, J. E., Rivadeneira, P. S.
PDF

Academic Service

Research Projects

  • PICT 2022, Nro. 2021-I-A-00544 (2022-2024): Mathematical modeling and control of tuberculosis in Argentina. Funded by ANPCYT. Role: Doctoral Student.
  • PIP 2021, KE3 Nro. 112-2020010-2555-CO (2021-2024): Mathematical modeling and control of the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina. Funded by CONICET. Role: Doctoral Student.
  • PICT 2019, Nro. 2019-01794 (2019-2024): Design of economic MPC strategies for tracking time-varying trajectories. Funded by ANPCYT. Role: Doctoral Student.
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