Research Groups in Infectious Disease Epidemiology

The Department conducts research in a broad range of subject areas and with a large number of collaborators, both within Imperial and externally:

Bacterial Disease (Professor Brian Spratt CBE FRS FMedSci)
Molecular epidemiology and the population and evolutionary biology of bacterial pathogens.

Dynamics, evolution and control of epidemics (Professor Neil Ferguson OBE FMedSci)
Our research aims to improve understanding of the epidemiological factors and population processes shaping infectious disease spread in human and animal populations.

Emerging Fungal Infections (Dr Matthew Fisher)
Our research uses an evolutionary framework to investigate the biological and environmental factors that are driving fungal diseases in both human and wildlife species.

Evolutionary Epidemiology (Professor Christophe Fraser)
We develop theory on the dynamics of pathogen spread and evolution, we analyse epidemiological and genetic data, and we apply our findings to improve public health.

Helminth Ecology (Dr Maria-Gloria Basáñez)
We focus on epidemiology, evolution, and control of helminthiases generally, and population biology of indirectly-transmitted macroparasites particularly. Case studies include onchocerciasis, from vector biology and transmission to development of mathematical models.

HIV Intervention Studies (Professor Simon Gregson)
Our work has focussed upon the demographic impact of the HIV-1 epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

Malaria (Professor Azra Ghani)
Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, the majority of which occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria infection is caused by the Plasmodium parasite which is transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito when it feeds on humans.

Parasite Epidemiology (Dr Edwin Michael)
Our studies focus particularly on the mosquito-borne helminthiasis, lymphatic filariasis, which is estimated to afflict some 120 million people in the tropics, and against which a global control programme is currently being launched.

Partnership for Child Development (Dr Lesley Drake)
Based on our experiences of school health programming and child development issues over the past ten years, PCD has become an internationally recognised expert organization in this field.

Pathogen Population Genetics (Dr François Balloux)
We are interested in the genetic makeup of natural populations and the underlying dynamics that shaped them. Our work focuses in particular on the reconstruction of the spatiotemporal spread of human pathogens from genetic sequence data.

Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (Professor Alan Fenwick OBE)
The SCI has assisted these six African countries to establish nation-wide control of schistosomiasis and intestinal helminths.

Schistosomiasis Reseach (Professor Joanne Webster)
The primary aim of our research is to identify and characterise the mechanisms and implications of host-schistosome coevolution.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Professor Geoffrey Garnett)
Our research covers the epidemiology, evolution and control of sexually transmitted infections focussing on interpreting surveilance data, understanding patterns of risk behaviour and designing and evaluating interventions.

Statistical Epidemiology (Professor Christl Donnelly)
Statistical methods and analysis make important contributions in many areas of the department's epidemiological research.

STI Prevention and Control (Dr Helen Ward)
Sexually transmitted infections remain a major health problem globally and locally. We are interested in a broad range of research tools to explore the epidemiology of STI with a view to informing interventions. We work closely with social scientists, clinicians, laboratory researchers and public health policy makers.

Vaccine Epidemiology (Dr Nicholas Grassly)
Our research focuses on the impact of vaccines and treatment on infectious diseases in individuals and populations.