I am an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Health Group with a background in epidemiology and spatial statistics. My research investigates how the environment, climate and WASH provision affect the transmission of a range of infectious diseases, with a focus on complex urban settings.
Affiliations
Teaching
At LSHTM, I am the module organiser for the Environmental Epidemiology module and lecture on the Introduction to Disease Agents and their Control module for the Control of Infectious Diseases MSc, on WASH for the Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (DTMH) and also on the Design and Analysis of Epidemiological Studies module. I am a tutor for the Control of Infectious Diseases MSc and on the distance-learning module Control of Infectious Diseases.
I currently supervise/co-supervise three PhD students based at LSHTM, Lancaster University and the Federal University of Bahia.
I regularly supervise MSc research projects - any interested students please feel free to contact me.
Research
My research primarily focusses on studying transmission mechanisms of infectious diseases, with a focus on climate-sensitive pathogens, using spatial statistical models and data collected via community-based studies and administrative health data. I am co-lead for the 'Improving Environmental and Planetary Health' challenge at the LSHTM Centre for Data and Statistical Science for Health (DASH).
I am currently undertaking an exploring the link between environmental hygiene, flooding and health for three climate-sensitive environmental and zoonotic diseases (EZDs) in marginalised urban communities in Salvador, Brazil using a One Health approach. The project aims to address a critical evidence gap on the impact of WASH interventions (simplified sewerage with community participation and health education) on EZD transmission. In this three-year longitudinal study we use an eco-epidemiological approach to delineate the mechanisms and complex interactions between animal reservoirs, the environment, climate and human behaviour that drive transmission of these diseases. This study is a collaboration with the Federal University of Bahia and Fiocruz in Salvador, Brazil.
I am co-I on another study . In this study we are examining how hygiene behaviours influence the impact of sanitation on enteric pathogen exposure. The study is nested within an , which I also collaborate on.
I also develop and apply geostatistical models for disease prevalence mapping to inform policy for preventive chemotherapy control for schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths and other NTDs for country MOHs in West, Central and East Africa.
Much of my other work has focussed on leptospirosis and arboviruses in complex urban settings. This includes a collaboration with the Federal University of Bahia and the University of Bristol to develop and validate a hydro-epidemiological model for Leptospira pathogen transportation and accumulation in the environment.
I am currently also investigating the effect of climate and environment on WASH intervention effectiveness using observational and trial data and using causal inference approaches to understand how climate vulnerability and flooding drive zoonotic disease burden.