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BIO

My research interest is in infectious disease epidemiology, public health and development in low-income countries. The primary aim of my research is the development and evaluation of disease control strategies to improve health in resource-constrained environments, with a specific focus on malaria.

I have a particular interest in the epidemiology and control of malaria in school-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa, and the consequences of asymptomatic malaria infection on anaemia, cognition and education. I also have a keen interest in access to medicines and the quality of care, and public health interventions to improve the treatment of malaria and other childhood infections by community health workers, private clinics and drug shops.

I have led numerous intervention studies in sub-Saharan Africa, including randomised controlled trials to evaluate the impact of (i) malaria control in schools; (ii) seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) and nutritional interventions in pre-school children; (iii) perennial malaria chemoprevention (PMC) in early childhood; (iv) malaria prevention during pregnancy; (v) use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) by CHWs and drug shop vendors; and (vi) integrated community case management (iCCM).

I have a strong commitment to interdisciplinary research, and the power of bringing insights and methods from multiple disciplines to work together to understand and search for solutions to pressing public health challenges.

- I am the LSHTM Programme Director of the MSc One Health, and LSHTM Co-Director of the OneZoo Centre for Doctoral Training, a multi-university PhD programme to address the environmental drivers of zoonoses.
- From 2017-2021 I was Co-Director of the LSHTM Malaria Centre - a multidisciplinary cross-faculty network of over 200 malaria researchers at LSHTM.

LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE AND TROPICAL MEDICINE APPOINTMENTS

  • Professor in Epidemiology and Global Health
    London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom1 Jan 2018 - present
  • Associate Professor in Malaria Research and Control
    London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom1 Jan 2008 - 1 Jan 2018
  • Lecturer in Malaria Research and Control
    Gates Malaria Partnership, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, London, United Kingdom2002 - 2008

NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Senior Researcher (Malaria and Vector-Borne Diseases)
    DBL - Institute for Health Research and Development, Denmark1994 - 2001
  • Senior Scientific Officer (Epidemiology)
    MRC AIDS Coordinating Centre, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Public Health Laboratory Service, UK1987 - 1994

DEGREES

  • PhD
    University of Copenhagen, Denmark2001
  • MSc Epidemiology
    London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK1992
  • BSc Biology
    University of Sussex, UK1987

RESEARCH CENTRES

  • Antimicrobial Resistance Centre
  • Centre for Evaluation
  • Centre for Maternal Adolescent Reproductive & Child Health
  • Malaria Centre

REGIONS & COUNTRIES

  • Gambia
  • Kenya
  • Mali
  • Senegal
  • Uganda
  • Least developed countries: UN classification
  • Sub-Saharan Africa (all income levels)
  • Benin
  • Brazil
  • Cameroon
  • Cote d'Ivoire
  • East Asia & Pacific (all income levels)
  • Mozambique
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand

TOPICS & DISCIPLINES