Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases

Head of Department: Simon Croft
Department Administrator: Helen Edwards
Department Secretary: Arlene Heron
Taught Course Directors: Graham Clark
Research Degree Director: David Baker
Senior Computing Officer: Dorothy Wright
Head Technologist (Safety): Nigel Hill

Tel: +44 (0)20 7927 2637, Fax: +44 (0)20 7637 4314

The Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases (ITD) was formed in August 1997 and encompasses all of the laboratory-based research in the School as well as that on the clinical and epidemiological aspects of infectious and tropical diseases. It is currently headed by Simon Croft, who is Professor of Parasitology. The Department is organised into four large research units. The range of disciplines represented in the department is very broad and inter-disciplinary research is a feature of much of our activity. The spectrum of diseases studied is wide and there are major research groups working on topics which include:

• HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
• malaria and other vector borne diseases
• tuberculosis
• vaccine development and evaluation
• vector biology and disease control

There is close interaction between scientists in different research teams. The Department has strong overseas links which provide a basis for field studies and international collaborations in developed and developing countries. Funding for research in the Department comes from around 45 funding organizations and agencies. Major funders of research include the Department for International Development, Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, BBSRC, GlaxoSmithKline and the Commission of European Communities.