My main research areas of interest are the epidemiology of vaccine preventable diseases, mainly influenza, other respiratory infections, TB, hepatitis and more recently spill-over zoonotic infections and SARS-CoV-2. My work has included the efficacy and effectiveness of BCG and influenza vaccines and on vaccine safety in pregnancy. I led work on assessing factors affecting the efficacy of BCG vaccine and duration of protection of BCG. I have carried out work on a seroepidemiological study of human brucella in India, and a similar multi-centre study in West Africa.
I work on several studies including recently as a co-PI on the Coronavirus School Infection Survey. This was a study in partnership with Office for National Statistics and Public Health England. Based on 150 schools in England I co-led on the epidemiology and transmission of the infection within schools. I currently lead on the human aspects of transmission and control of avian influenza and corononviruses. These include UKRI funded studies on the transmission SARS-CoV-2 infection in traditional food markets in Bolivia, on MersCoV in Jordan, and on avian influenza as a Co-I in the GCRF OneHealth Poultry Hub.
I have experience of interdisciplinary research to consider and respond to issues that are multifaceted e.g. an appreciation of the role of economics in the control of vaccine preventable diseases, the role of nutritional changes and cancer with migration and currently one-health approaches with veterinary and social sciences on drivers for, as well as the control and prevention of zoonotic infections and the transmission and impact of SARS-CoV-2 in schools.
Key words: easonal, pandemic and avian influenza; COVID-19; MersCoV; influenza and BCG vaccines; zoonoses