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Ms Isabel Byrne

Research Fellow

United Kingdom

I am a Research Fellow and staff PhD candidate, currently based at the School in London. I am part of the Drakeley Group in the Department of Infection Biology. My interests are in spatial epidemiology of vector-borne diseases, and I primarily work with malaria.

I am currently working and undertaking my PhD under the EU horizons and UKRI funded PvSTATEM project in Ethiopia and Madagascar. Here, I am investigating the impacts of spatial heterogeneity of disease on randomised control trials, along with providing research support to the project.

From 2020-2023 I worked on various projects as a Research Assistant. I was part of the Improving Human Health (IHH) flagship of Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) research programme. This research programme was funded by CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research). I was investigating whether the breeding sites of the malaria vector Anopheles funestus can be identified using drones and satellite data. Additionally, I was part of the team working on Freedom From Infection: Measuring the Absence of Malaria Infection, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I provided statistical and spatial analysis support, specifically on serological data from Laos PDR.

Affiliations

Department of Infection Biology
Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases

Centres

Malaria Centre

Teaching

I teach across several courses at LSHTM and outside.

At LSHTM I have lectured for the joint LSHTM and Royal Veterinary Collect One Health MSc in the Situation Analysis and Systems Thinking module. I have been a facilitator for 3135 Spatial Epidemiology. I have been a moderator & assessor for 3176 Integrated Vector Management. I have supervised multiple research projects for students from MSc courses at LSHTM and the Royal Veterinary College.

At University College London I have facilitated practicals in the Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology MSc.

Research

Spatial epidemiology
Remote-sensing
Geostatistical modelling
Vector-borne disease
Malaria
NTDs
Research Area
GIS/Spatial analysis
Serology, vaccines
Epidemiology
Disease and Health Conditions
Malaria
Vector borne diseases
Country
Ethiopia
Madagascar
Malaysia
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa (all income levels)

Selected Publications

Serological evaluation of risk factors for exposure to malaria in a pre-elimination setting in Malaysian Borneo.
BYRNE, I; William, T; Chua, TH; PATTERSON, C; Hall, T; Tan, M; Chitnis, C; Adams, J; Singh, SK; GRIGNARD, L; TETTEH, KK A; Fornace, KM; DRAKELEY, CJ;
2023
Scientific reports
Mapping Malaria Vector Habitats in West Africa: Drone Imagery and Deep Learning Analysis for Targeted Vector Surveillance.
Trujillano, F; Garay, GJ; Alatrista-Salas, H; BYRNE, I; Nunez-Del-Prado, M; CHAN, K; Manrique, E; Johnson, E; Apollinaire, N; Kouame Kouakou, P; Oumbouke, WA; Tiono, AB; Guelbeogo, MW; LINES, J; Carrasco-Escobar, G; Fornace, K;
2023
Remote sensing
Characterizing the spatial distribution of multiple malaria diagnostic endpoints in a low-transmission setting in Lao PDR.
BYRNE, I; Cramer, E; Nelli, L; Rerolle, F; Wu, L; PATTERSON, C; Rosado, J; Dumont, E; TETTEH, KK A; Dantzer, E; Hongvanthong, B; Fornace, KM; Stresman, G; Lover, A; Bennett, A; DRAKELEY, C;
2022
Frontiers in medicine
Technical Workflow Development for Integrating Drone Surveys and Entomological Sampling to Characterise Aquatic Larval Habitats of Anopheles funestus in Agricultural Landscapes in Côte d'Ivoire.
BYRNE, I; CHAN, K; Manrique, E; LINES, J; Wolie, RZ; Trujillano, F; Garay, GJ; Del Prado Cortez, MN; Alatrista-Salas, H; Sternberg, E; COOK, J; N'GUESSAN, R; Koffi, A; Ahoua Alou, LP; Apollinaire, N; MESSENGER, LA; KRISTAN, M; Carrasco-Escobar, G; Fornace, K;
2021
Journal of environmental and public health
Environmental and spatial risk factors for the larval habitats of Plasmodium knowlesi vectors in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
BYRNE, I; Aure, W; Manin, BO; Vythilingam, I; Ferguson, HM; DRAKELEY, CJ; Chua, TH; FORNACE, KM;
2021
Scientific reports
Heterogeneity of malaria transmission in urban settings in Ethiopia: A seroprevalence and risk factor analysis.
Teka, H; Fekadu, S; Ejigu, LA; Sisay, S; Abdo, M; Demisse, M; Mamo, H; DRAKELEY, C; BYRNE, I; Medhin, G; Golassa, L; Gadisa, E; TADESSE, FG;
2026
PloS one
Barriers to uptake and implementation of malaria chemoprevention in school-aged children: a stakeholder engagement meeting report
Morlino, C; BYRNE, I; Achan, J; Baraka, V; Barry, A; Bousema, T; Camara, A; Chacky, F; CHICO, RM; CLARKE, SE; Collins, KA; Dagnon, SJ-F; Diallo, O; Doumbia, S; Gerardin, J; Hein, D; Lusasi, AS; Maiteki-Sebuguzi, C; Makenga, G; Mokuolu, OA; Mwenyango, I; Nabakooza, J; Ogbulafor, N; Penny, MA; Sadou, A; ... Cohee, LM.
2025
Frontiers in tropical diseases
Evidence-based decision making for malaria elimination applying the Freedom From Infection statistical framework in five malaria eliminating countries: an observational study.
Stresman, G; Nelli, L; Wu, L; BYRNE, I; Surendra, H; Fernandez-Camacho, B; Ruiz-Cabrejos, J; Arana, LB; Gonçalves, AA L M; Monteiro, DD S R; Desir, L; Ureña, K; Tejada Beato, MD J; Dumont, E; Hill, M; GRIGNARD, L; Elechosa, S; Bunagan, R; Xuan Thang, N; Huong Binh, NT; Hong Ngoc, NT; Tetteh, KK A; Noland, GS; Hamre, KE S; Da Veiga Leal, S; ... DRAKELEY, C.
2025
The Lancet. Global health
Heterogeneity of Malaria in Urban Settings in Ethiopia: A Sero-prevalence and Risk Factor Study.
Namaga, HT; Wolde, SF; Ejigu, LA; Sisay, S; Aman, MA; Demissie, M; Drakeley, C; BYRNE, I; Medhin, G; Golassa, L; Gadisa, E; Tadesse, FG;
2025
openRxiv
Incorporating Community Case Management in Risk-Based Surveillance for Malaria Elimination in the Dominican Republic.
BYRNE, I; Nelli, L; Ureña, K; Désir, L; Hilario Rodriguez, C; Michelén Ströfer, N; Lana, JT; Noland, GS; Tejada Beato, MD J; Cruz Raposo, JL; DRAKELEY, C; Hamre, KE S; Stresman, G;
2025
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
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