Dates & fees
for 2011 will be posted here as soon as they are confirmed. Please check
periodically for updates.
Course outline
Infectious diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality
worldwide, with HIV, tuberculosis and malaria estimated to cause 10%
of all deaths each year. New pathogens continue to emerge, as demonstrated
by the SARS epidemic in 2003 and the swine flu pandemic in 2009.
 Mathematical
models are being increasingly used to elucidate the transmission of
infections and to evaluate the potential impact of control programmes
in reducing morbidity and mortality. Applications include determining
optimal control strategies against new infections, such as swine flu
or against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, and predicting the impact
of vaccination strategies against common infections such as measles
and rubella. Modelling was used extensively in the UK during the recent
swine flu pandemic to monitor the extent of ongoing transmission and
the potential impact of control such as school closures and vaccination.
This two week course, organized jointly between the London School of
Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Health Protection Agency Centre
for Infections, is intended to introduce professionals working on infectious
diseases in either developing or developed countries to this exciting
and expanding area. The emphasis will be on developing a conceptual
understanding of the basic methods and on their practical application,
rather than the manipulation of mathematical equations. The methods
will be illustrated by "hands-on" experience of setting up
models in spreadsheets as well as other specialist modelling packages,
small group work, and seminars in which the applications of modelling
will be discussed. By the end of the course participants will have deepened
their current understanding of infectious disease epidemiology and have
gained an understanding and practical experience of the basics of infections
disease modelling, which will be useful in their future work.
 The
course is taught by staff from all three academic departments at the
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the Modelling and
Economics Unit at the Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections,
London, and the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Staff have extensive
experience of working closely with epidemiologists, policy and decision
makers, in applying modelling to field data from developed and developing
countries and using models to guide policy decision, and in teaching
modelling techniques to professionals from medical and biological disciplines.
The course makes use of Excel, and a specialist modelling package
(Berkeley Madonna). The topics to be covered include:
- Key concepts in infectious disease epidemiology;
- The basic methods for setting up (deterministic and stochastic)
infectious disease models;
- Practical applications of modelling, including predicting the impact
of control strategies against pandemic influenza and other infections,
and describing the course of outbreaks;
- Analyses of serological data: methods for estimating age and time-dependent
transmission rates and their application for developing models of
the dynamics of infections;
- Interpreting outbreak data and modelling in real-time;
- How to read and interpret modelling papers;
- Models for describing STI and HIV transmission and control;
- Models of the dynamics and control of vector-borne diseases, tuberculosis
and the application of models to problems in veterinary epidemiology.
All teaching is carried out at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical
Medicine and consists of lectures, computer practicals and small group
discussions. Evening seminars by invited external modellers, epidemiologists
and decision-makers, which highlight the practical applications of modelling,
are also scheduled throughout the course. See the detailed course description
(below) for further details. A detailed course manual, a CD containing
the models used during the course, and a licence for the specialist
modelling package "Berkeley Madonna" will be given to participants.
There will be no formal examination, but a Certificate of Attendance
will be issued to those completing the course.
2010 Course Description
(PDF 47K)
Methods of assessment
There is no formal assessment but at the conclusion of the course,
a certificate of attendance will be provided.
Who should apply for this course?
 The
course is designed for individuals interested in expanding their knowledge
of the techniques available for analysing and interpreting epidemiological
data on infectious diseases and for predicting the impact of control
programmes, including medical and health professionals, policy makers,
veterinary scientists, medical statisticians and infectious disease
researchers. Specialist mathematical training is not a prerequisite.
However, individuals with degrees in mathematical disciplines working
on some aspect of infectious disease dynamics and/ or control, who wish
to learn about the potential of infectious disease modelling will also
benefit. Some familiarity with spreadsheet packages (ideally Excel)
is desirable. Applicants should have a good command of English.
Click here for the backgrounds
of previous participants
Further Information
Course Fee
The fee for the course is £1,900. This fee covers participation in
the course and all course materials (including a licence for Berkeley
Madonna), but excludes travel costs, accommodation and meals. If the
course fee is to be paid on the applicant's behalf, please send a letter
from the sponsor to confirm this as soon as possible. Otherwise, the
applicant will be held personally responsible for payment. The full
course fee must be paid by 21 May 2010. Your place may be cancelled
if your fees are not paid by this date.
Accommodation And Meals
The School cannot provide accommodation for participants. A list of
hotels and other accommodation located in the vicinity of the School
can be supplied on request to the Registry.
Lunch can be purchased from the School Refectory. Evening meals are
not catered for at the School, but there is a large choice of restaurants
and coffee shops nearby.
Timetable
2010 Timetable (PDF 23K)
Applications
Please return a completed application
Form along with a CV and an equal
opportunities form to:
Registry, LSHTM, 50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP,
UK, Tel: +44 (0)20 7299 4648
Alternatively, by fax:
Fax: +44 (0)20 7323 0638
Or email: shortcourses@lshtm.ac.uk
Comments from recent attendees
General
- 'Great course! It's hard to bring people from different levels of
knowledge together, but this course succeeded in doing so.'
- 'It would help infectious diseases doctors to develop a higher level
of comprehension of how epidemics spread.'
- 'Many MDs working in tropical areas badly need these concepts...'
- 'One of the few courses where I really feel I learnt something useful.'
Course content and structure
- 'Really helps reinforce basic epidemiology and how that is applied
and taken further.'
- 'We have lectures covering basic concepts and following that there
are practicals to further digest them, that is so like me!'
- 'Is a really good course, where you really get useful outputs! Beautiful
course to get in touch with modelling.'
- 'Lots of practicals for each session, lots of examples based on
diseases: wide spectrum for applications.'
Level of difficulty
- 'Very good for a totally 'blur' person like me on modelling - I
saw the light.'
- 'Just right; could even have been more difficult (but it would take
more time to explain the maths; so this might not be feasible).'
- 'Challenging but very well presented.'
Organization and teaching
- 'Everything was very well organised.'
- 'Complete use of all our time - I certainly got 'my moneys' worth!
Mix of fellow students was excellent, majority of lectures were to
a really high standard, as you would hope from world famous LSHTM!'
- 'Excellent teachers, very good division of time between activities.'
- 'I learnt a lot more from this course (LSHTM) than another modelling
course I attended. First the lecture notes are really good. Second
each lecture was followed by a practical session and is really fantastic.
This helps students to consolidate the ideas from lecture and put
the theory into practice. On the whole FANTASTIC. Thank you!'
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