I currently lead the Communicable Diseases Policy Research Group at LSHTM, which I joined in 2009. I am interested in conducting “One-Health”-focussed research on the emergence, transmission and burden of infectious diseases at the human-animal interface, and the capacity of health systems to respond. My main research experience is with mathematical, field and molecular epidemiology. Based in Southeast Asia, my current programme of research focusses on characterising zoonotic risk in relation to livestock systems (see projects below), where my roles include conceiving and designing epidemiological studies, overseeing and coordinating research projects, and leading quantitative data analyses.
Before joining LSHTM, I completed my PhD in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London, researching the transmission dynamics and population genetics of schistosomiasis in China and the Philippines. Prior to this I gained a BSc in Microbiology and an MSc in Modern Epidemiology, also at Imperial.
Affiliations
Centres
Teaching
I am involved in the LSHTM MSc Public Health (Distance Learning) programme, as Module Organiser and tutor for the Applied Communicable Disease Control module (PHM218), and as MSc project supervisor.
I am also Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand.
Research
Current research projects include:
Understanding zoonotic and pandemic risk in relation to swine production and exchange systems in Cambodia (Role: PI, Funding: U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency)
Characterising the risk of interspecies transmission of influenza to inform surveillance for novel influenza A viruses in Laos (Funding: Global Emerging Infections Surveillance programme))
Previous projects include:
Respiratory infectious disease among Cohorts in Vientiane Province, Laos (LaCoRIS). (Role: Co-Investigator; PI: Silaphet Somphavong; Funding: US Naval Medical Research Center)
Model evaluation of novel diagnostics for the endgame for soil-transmitted helminths. (Role: Co-investigator; PI: Graham Medley, Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
Determining the association between livestock systems and inflenza prevalence and diversity in swine, Cambodia (PigFluCam) (Role: Principal Investigator, Funding: US Naval Medical Research Center)
Molecular Epidemiology of Influenza A in Bali, Indonesia (BaliMEI) (PI: Richard Coker, Funding: Roche)
Developing evidence-based investment options in support of pandemic preparedness policy in Cambodia (PI: Richard Coker, Funding: GIZ)
Surge in demand for health services: evaluating health system impact and capacity to respond in low- and middle-income countries (PI: Richard Coker, Funding: GIZ)
Health systems analysis to support capacity development for responding to pandemic influenza in Asia (AsiaFluCap) (PI: Richard Coker, Funding: EU and Rockefeller Foundation)
The integration of Global Fund portfolios into health systems in five countries in Asia (PI: Richard Coker, Funding: Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria)
Social mixing patterns for influenza-like illness in Asia (SMILI) (PI: John Edmunds, Funding: WHO)