Dr Daniela Manno
Clinical Assistant Professor
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Keppel Street
London
WC1E 7HT
United Kingdom
I am a clinical epidemiologist with extensive expertise in infectious diseases and clinical trials, particularly in vaccine research for outbreak-prone infectious diseases. My PhD focused on assessing the safety and immunogenicity of the Ad26.ZEBOV, MVA-BN-Filo vaccine regimen against Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Sierra Leone, providing critical insights into the complexities of vaccine research for emerging infections. As the responsible physician for the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), I led the safety working group of a large-scale Ebola vaccine trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that recruited over 20,000 adults and children, including 1,221 pregnant women, during the 2018-2020 EVD outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. I also coordinated a follow-up study on participants vaccinated with the same regimen (NCT03820739) and, as co-principal investigator at LSHTM, led a safety follow-up study in Tanzania, securing €145,967 in funding (NCT02661464).
My current research interests centre on improving the inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women in vaccine research for emerging infections, aiming to enhance maternal and neonatal safety during health emergencies. I am also dedicated to investigating the burden of Lassa fever and other emerging infections in pregnancy to inform vaccine development and deployment strategies. Beyond this, I am actively involved in projects exploring Lassa fever epidemiology in Sierra Leone and innovative delivery strategies for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination.
Affiliations
Centres
Teaching
I am a tutor and marker for the modules Applying Public Health Principles in Developing Countries (3198) and Control of Sexually Transmitted Infections (3192) at LSHTM. I co-organise the Decolonising Global Health (DGH) seminar series for the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H), collaborating with guest speakers to facilitate discussions that challenge traditional perspectives on global health.
Additionally, I serve as the Child Theme Co-Lead for the LSHTM Centre for Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive, and Child Health (MARCH) and am a member of the MARCH Steering Committee. In this role, I contribute to shaping MARCH's strategic direction and work closely with Student Liaison Officers (SLOs) to facilitate knowledge exchange, organise events, and enhance communication efforts to promote the Centre’s initiatives and objectives.
I have recently secured funding to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts within the Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases.
With this support, I will undertake Action Learning Set (ALS) facilitator training to establish a structured, peer-driven support system for colleagues and research students at LSHTM facing EDI-related challenges. My goal is to pilot ALS sessions where participants can collaboratively explore and address barriers to career progression, work-life balance, and professional development. This initiative aims to foster a more inclusive and supportive academic culture within LSHTM.
Research
My primary research interests centre on conducting clinical trials and other epidemiological studies in the field of infectious diseases and vaccines. Currently, I am particularly focused on improving the inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women in vaccine research for emerging infections, with the aim of enhancing the safety of these women and their babies during health emergencies. I am also dedicated to investigating the burden of Lassa fever and other emerging infections in pregnancy to inform vaccine development and deployment strategies. Beyond this, I am actively involved in projects exploring Lassa fever epidemiology in Sierra Leone and innovative delivery strategies for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination.
Selected Publications
