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Prof Jim Todd

Professor of Applied Biostatistics

United Kingdom

My life has encompassed many false starts, and wrong turns, and all are incorporated in my current work, and life. I dropped out of school, and it will remain my greatest achievement. I became a teacher, and that is in my blood. I have spent 35 years living in Africa, and almost as long working for LSHTM, and both provide some inspiration for my work and life. Applied statistics provides the thread which enables me to pull these diverse components together. I have no responsibilities, only privileges. I recognize those privileges and use them to help others achieve their potential.

I studied Medical Statistics and have endeavored to apply that knowledge in my work, and in my teaching. An understanding of data, and how to present results, is important in so many different areas. An understanding of people and how they work together, is probably more important, and a more reliable way to achieve results.

Affiliations

Department of Population Health
Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health

Centres

Malaria Centre

Teaching

In my previous existence at the School, I taught and organized several face-to-face courses. I have organized many short courses (some in the School, and some for collaborative institutions). Within the Distance Learning program in the School, I have been the module organizer for EP202, and for two demography module DEM101 and DEM205. In both the Epidemiology and the Demography MSc I have supervised masters projects. Within the School I have supervised ten PhD students to completion, and currently supervising three PhD students. Outside of the School I have co-supervised 15 PhD students to completion, and currently co-supervise five students in three countries.

Outside of the School, under the THRiVE consortium, in 2010 I developed, set up and organized the Masters in Epidemiology and Applied Biostatistics in Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College in Tanzania, which I still teach on. Under the auspices of SSACAB, since 2015, I have worked with several other institutions in Africa, to develop similar masters programs in Applied Biostatistics. I consider it a privilege to continue teaching at these institutions. I am working with colleagues in CUHAS in Mwanza, Tanzania to implement a new Applied Biostatistics course. I am thankful to the projects, grants and consortium that have made all of these programs possible.

I am fortunate to have collaborated with colleagues from many institutions in East Africa over the last 25 years. As one of the original co-investigators in the ALPHA network (from 2005) I am proud of the collaborative analysis workshops that have been developed. I have been influenced by the intense and practical Alpha workshops, which have influenced the way I think about the teaching of statistics.

Many of the researchers and students I have worked with have gone on to have stellar careers of their own. To any colleague, I am always willing to give mentorship, or advice, some of which may actually be useful.

Research

Research Area
Clinical trials
Clinical databases
Statistical methods
Demography
Epidemiology
Capacity development
Disease and Health Conditions
HIV/AIDS
Schistosomiasis
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)
Sexually transmitted infections
Country
Tanzania
Kenya
Malawi
South Africa
Ghana
Uganda
Zambia
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa (all income levels)

Selected Publications

Mapping regional variability of exclusive breastfeeding and its determinants at different infant's age in Tanzania.
Jahanpour, OF; Okango, EL; TODD, J; Mwambi, H; Mahande, MJ;
2023
BMC pregnancy and childbirth
Trends of Exclusive Breastfeeding Practices and Its Determinants in Tanzania from 1999 to 2016.
Jahanpour, OF; TODD, J; Mwambi, H; Okango, EL; Mahande, MJ;
2023
International journal of environmental research and public health
Comparison of survival analysis approaches to modelling age at first sex among youth in Kisesa Tanzania.
Materu, J; Konje, ET; Urassa, M; MARSTON, M; Boerma, T; TODD, J;
2023
PloS one
Eight survey rounds and adolescent survey used for this study
Materu, J; Konje, ET; Urassa, M; MARSTON, M; Boerma, T; TODD, J;
2023
PLOS ONE
Brief Report: Changes in Nocturnal Heart Rate Variability in People Living With HIV During the First Year of Antiretroviral Therapy Compared With HIV-Uninfected Community Controls.
Kavishe, BB; PrayGod, G; Brage, S; Kitilya, BW; Faurholt-Jepsen, D; TODD, J; Jeremiah, K; FILTEAU, S; Olsen, MF; Peck, R;
2023
Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes
Enabling data sharing and utilization for African population health data using OHDSI tools with an OMOP-common data model
Kiwuwa-Muyingo, S; TODD, J; BHATTACHARJEE, T; Taylor, A; Greenfield, J;
2023
Frontiers in public health
Fertility trends by HIV status in a health and demographic surveillance study in Magu District, Tanzania, 1994-2018.
Mkwashapi, D; Renju, J; Mahande, M; Changalucha, J; Urassa, M; TODD, J;
2023
PloS one
Effect of anti-retroviral regimen on proximal tubular function in Zambian adolescents and young adults living with HIV
Mweemba, A; Kelly, P; Heimburger, DC; Mutale, W; Nzala, S; Wester, WC; Banda, J; Mulenga, LB; Siwingwa, M; TODD, J;
2023
Figshare
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