Dr Robert Jones
Assistant Professor
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Keppel Street
WC1E 7HT
United Kingdom
I am a highly motivated insect biologist with expertise in novel approaches to insect control and the molecular basis of insecticide resistance. I am currently Assistant Professor in the Department of Disease Control at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. I currently have a seed grant investigating the competence of Musca sorbens as a vector for Chlamydia trachomatis and the role of hygiene in preventing transmission of this pathogen.
I am also Director of Social Impact at Arctech Innovation, the first spin-out company from LSHTM. I have extensive experience in designing and implementing high quality research studies of vector control tools, ranging from development studies of topical and spatial repellents to clinical and field investigations. I am also the Content Manager for the Global Vector Hub, an online resource for vector control data, resources and networking, which supports my contributions to the UK vector-borne disease data hub.
Affiliations
Teaching
Course management
Co-module organiser of the Integrated Vector Management module 3176 (2023-24).
Teaching
Practical class leader:
- Bioassays to detect insecticide resistance (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-34)
Lecturer on Vector Biology module 3166:
- Odour detection in blood-feeding arthropods (2022-23, 2023-24).
- Insect chemical ecology (2022-23, 2023-24).
Lecturer on Neglected Tropical Disease module 3465:
- NTD threats in changing climates (2023-24).
Tutorial leader for MSc Medical Microbiology:
- Intellectual property, copyright, translation and acknowledgement of scientific work (2023-24).
External teaching
Lecturer for MPH students at University of Sierra Leone:
- Control of vector-borne diseases (2020-19).
Distance learning tutor
- Tutor on Control of Infectious Diseases IDM104 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24). This has included updating the course material, identifying recorded lectures and preparing podcasts to support learning and improve the learning experience.
Examiner
- Examiner on Control of Infectious Diseases (IDM104; academic years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24).
- External examiner for MSC OneHealth (LSHTM and RVC; academic years 2022-23, 2023-34).
Research student supervision
PhD co-supervision:
- Elizabeth Pretorius: Evaluating the entomological impact of adjunctive ivermectin mass drug administration for malaria control on mosquito vectors in the Bijagós archipelago, Guinea-Bissau (2020-24, thesis defended May 2024).
PhD tertiary supervision:
- Alicia Showering: The role of the skin microbiome in human attractiveness to malaria mosquitoes (2020-23, thesis defended October 2023).
MSc project supervision and co-supervision
- Simran Budhwar: Assessing the social and environmental risk factors affecting Aedes mosquitoes (2022-23).
- Emily Ford: Perception and knowledge of methods of arbovirus control within the community of Restrepo-Meta (2022-23).
- Eyob Addise Workneh: Investigating the competence of the eye-seeking fly Musca sorbens as a vector for ocular strains of Chlamydia trachomatis (2022-23).
- Keir Hughes: Monitoring resistance to pyrethroids insecticides in Anopheles gambiae s.l. on the Bijagós archipelago, Guinea-Bissau (2021-22).
- Genevieve Clapp: Designing an attractive toxic sugar bait for malaria control: calculating the ivermectin LC90 for An. gambiae s.l. in the Bijagos archipelago (2021-22).
- Hugo Soubrier: Spatial distribution and environmental factors associated with Anopheles mosquitoes on the Bijagos Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau (2022-23).
- Jeanette Hayes: A Systematic Review: Urban habitats of Anopheles stephensi and recommendations for its potential control across sub-Saharan Africa (2020-2021).
- Danielle Bancroft: A qualitative study of community knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of Zika virus and vector-control strategies in Brazil (2019-20).
- India Clancy: A content analysis of public health messages on arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti in Brazil (2019-20).
- Maria Tacugue: A qualitative analysis of stakeholder perspectives on vector control & vector-borne diseases in Colombia (2019-20).
- Hea Sun Joh: Exploring the distribution of malaria incidence in Tak, western Thailand (2018-19).
Massive Open Online Courses
I development several stages of a MOOC on Preventing the Zika virus: understanding and controlling the Aedes mosquito (2017), which had over 20,000 subscribers. Stages included:
- How concerning is Zika?
- Where do you find Aedes larvae
- Challenges in controlling mosquitoes
- Can we eliminate mosquitoes entirely
I developed steps for a further MOOC - The global challenge of vector borne diseases and how to control them (2020), including:
- The challenge of insecticide resistance
- Vector control challenges case study – Venezuela
- Lessons learned from vector control successes.
Training
- I completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching part 1 (2021-22) and Part 2 (2022-23).
Research
I am interested in the challenge of controlling insects as a means to preventing the spread of vector-borne diseases. Malaria remains a threat in many parts of the world, and the development of insecticide resistance is limiting the utility of some of the core interventions that have been used over recent decades. There is also the threat of arboviral diseases, which require a different suite of interventions. However, there are immense opportunities for controlling or eliminating these diseases through modern approaches. I'm interested in developing and evaluating vector control tools and encouraging their progress to market. I also maintain an interest in the molecular, genetic and evolutionary processes in insects that are important for disease transmission.
I am the Principal investigator of a cluster randomised trial in Uganda investigating the impact of a solar-powered spatial repellent device on malaria cases, and in Guinea-Bissau recently led elements of an investigation of the value of ivermectin mass drug administration for malaria control. I am now exploring whether that drug has any impacts on life history traits of Musca sorbens flies as a means to control trachoma.
I have enjoyed researching the roles that industrial activities play in both promoting and controlling vector-borne diseases, such as through increasing exposure of vulnerable individuals to insect bites, and the establishment of programmes for surveillance and treatment. Other areas of interest include community engagement to enhance knowledge and participation in vector control.
Selected Publications
