Exploring vulnerabilities: How far can modelling advance health equity? with Professor Anna Foss
Inaugural lecture of Professor Anna Foss
Anna Foss is a mathematical epidemiologist whose work spans a wide range of public health challenges. In her inaugural lecture, she will share how her mathematical background has helped to answer questions on HIV and STIs (including HPV and cervical cancer), health systems, maternal and child healthcare, climate change, and rapid diagnostic tests for common causes of fever. Through this diverse journey, Anna will explore a common thread: improving our understanding of vulnerabilities across individuals, populations and systems, and ask the central question—How far can modelling advance health equity? The lecture will showcase Anna’s methodological expertise in handling uncertainty and complexity, using examples from different modelling approaches. Beyond modelling, Anna will reflect on vulnerabilities in education, drawing on her insights from supporting distance learning students.
The lecture will take place from 17:30 - 18:30, followed by a 1-hour in-person drinks reception in the Pumphandle Social.
Speaker
Professor Anna Foss
Anna Foss joined LSHTM in July 2001 after graduating with a Masters of Mathematics Honours Degree (First Class) from the University of Manchester. Alongside her early work at LSHTM, she completed a part-time staff-PhD (awarded June 2007), titled Mathematical modelling of HIV/STI transmission and prevention: methodological issues when dealing with uncertainty. In June 2010, she was awarded a Distinction for her Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching (Full Certificate - Modules 1 and 2) and became a Fellow Member of The Higher Education Academy. In July 2024, she became a Senior Fellow of The Higher Education Academy.
Anna's portfolio of work is now diverse, spanning teaching management roles and research as a mathematical epidemiologist. Her methodological specialisms are mathematics, mathematical modelling, handling model uncertainty, and using agent-based modelling (ABM) to explore complex systems in public health. Anna works to address a wide range of public health questions relating to health systems (especially maternal and child health), climate change, HPV/cervical cancer, HIV/STIs, COVID, and rapid diagnostic tests.
Anna is deliberately cross-disciplinary: her international peer-reviewed publications span very different journal categories, from health and mathematics to education.
The lecture will take place from 17:30 - 18:30, followed by a 1-hour in-person drinks reception in the Pumphandle Social.
Event notices
- Please note that you can join this event in person or you can join the session remotely.
- Please note that the recording link will be listed on this page when available.
Admission
Contact
