I studied Mathematics at the University of Leeds and then for a MSc in Medical Statistics at the University of Leicester.
I joined LSHTM in 2003 as a Research Fellow in Medical Statistics, within the International Statistics and Epidemiology Group (ISEG), in 2003.
I am a member of the management committee for the LSHTM Clinical Trials Unit and I am co-theme leader of ISEG's work on emerging and neglected diseases.
Affiliations
Centres
Teaching
I am co module organiser for two courses; analysis and design of research studies, which is a core term 1 statistics module for MSc students in the Faculty of Infectious Diseases, and for the summer project (thesis) module for MSc Epidemiology (distance-learning) students.
I teach across a number of statistical and epidemiological modules for in-house and distance learning MSc programmes in Epidemiology and Clinical Trials. Other responsibilities including being a personal tutor and MSc thesis supervisor and a variety of roles in setting and marking assessments.
PhD Supervision:
Nathaniel Lee. Improving the evidence base for therapeutic interventions for Leptospirosis (2022-)
Lauren Hashiguchi. Longitudinal modelling of glucose control and TB treatment outcomes in persons with TB and Diabetes in the Philippines (2022)
Jacqueline Lim. The burden of dengue in Africa (2019)
I hold and have held several statistical advisory panel roles for PhD students, including projects relating to epidemiology of tuberculosis, diphtheria, malaria, trachoma.
Research
My research is focussed on the design and analysis of trials of therapeutics and vaccines and epidemiology of predominantly rare, neglected and outbreak diseases, as well as other infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, and nutrition, affecting vulnerable populations across Africa and Asia
I have extensive experience in the design, analysis, implementation, interpretation and reporting of clinical trials to evaluate therapeutic treatments and vaccines via a variety of trial designs (phase 2-4, superiority, non-inferiority, factorial, group sequential, individually randomised, cluster randomised); and addressing global health research questions through rigorous epidemiological studies.
My PhD from LSHTM was focussed on the impact of heterogeneity and non-compliance in individuals on the design and analysis of cluster randomised trials.
I am particularly interested in trial design and development to evaluate therapeutics and vaccines for rare and acute infectious diseases, including those with outbreak potential (Ebola, Leptospirosis, Lassa Fever, bubonic plague, Acinetobacter baumanni).
Selected current and past projects:
I am the lead statistician for Action Against Stunting Hub https://actionagainststunting.org . £13m. UKRI. 2019-2024.
I am co-investigator, lead statistician, and a member of the trial steering committee and the trial operations committee, for a non-inferiority trial of ciprofloxacin vs aminoglycoside plus ciprofloxacin, for the treatment of bubonic plague in Madagascar. This will be the first randomised trial to achieve the planned sample size to evaluate efficacy and safety of treatments for this rare disease. £1.6m Wellcome Trust. 2019-2025.
I am co-investigator and lead statistician for the African coaLition for Epidemic Research Response and Training (ALERRT) consortium, a network of existing and emerging research leaders and institutions across west, central and east Africa and four European universities. €10m EDCTP. 2017-2024
I am a member of the Trial Steering Committee: Phase 1b trial of Favipiravir & Ribavirin for Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (2023-)
I was a co-investigator and lead statistician for an evaluation of a heterologous, two-dose preventive vaccine regimen for Ebola virus disease in Democratic Republic of Congo. This large-scale vaccination trial importantly included a large number of pregnant women, enabling safety data collection in this group of often neglected participants in trials. $22.5m Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. 2019-2022.
Past grants and projects include
Co-investigator, lead statistician: Non-inferiority trial of nutrition therapeutics for severe acute malnutrition in children 6-59 months in India. MSF. 2017-2020
Co-principal investigator, lead statistician, trial management committee: Emergency evaluation of convalescent blood & plasma for Ebola Viral Disease in affected West African countries. €2.9m EU. 2014-2016.
Co-principal investigator, lead statistician, trial management committees: AfriCoLeish: Treatment and Control of Visceral Leishmaniasis in East Africa. €3m EU. 2013-2016.
Selected Publications
