Dr Louisa Messenger
BA MSc PhD
Assistant Professor
Louisa is an Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine with more than 14 years of experience, specialising primarily in molecular entomology and parasitology of different vector-borne diseases across multiple continents. Her research interests have concentrated on two areas: the evaluation and implementation of novel, vector control interventions and the application of basic science techniques to improve disease surveillance and management strategies. She currently supports insecticide resistance monitoring activities of two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating next-generation long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) for control of malaria transmitted by pyrethroid-resistant vectors in Tanzania (NCT03554616) and Benin (NCT03931473). Louisa previously held an American Society for Microbiology Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA (2016-2019), a L'Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science UK and Ireland Fellowship (2016) and was a project manager of a USAID-sponsored RCT in Muheza, Tanzania (NCT02533336; 2015-2016). Louisa has a PhD (2015) and MSc (2009, Distinction) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a BA (2008) from the University of Cambridge.
Affiliations
Centres
Teaching
Louisa teaches across a number of courses and programmes at LSHTM. She lectures, leads practical sessions and tutors for 3166 Vector Biology and Vector-Parasite Interactions. She also leads practical sessions for 3125 Introduction to Disease Agents and their Control, 3122 Parasitology and Entomology and 3176 Integrated Vector Management; and tutors for 3195 Malaria: from Science to Policy and for the MSc course Control of Infectious Diseases. Louisa is a member of the examination boards for the MSc Medical Entomology for Disease Control, MSc Medical Parasitology and MSc Control of Infectious Diseases courses. Louisa supervises MSc student projects each summer and is currently supervising two PhD students working on:
- Efficacy and durability (insecticidal and physical) of next-generation insecticide-treated bed nets against pyrethroid-resistant malaria vectors.
- Investigating the impact of insecticide resistance on malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa.
Research
Louisa's research outputs can be viewed on ResearchGate