Postgraduate research students

Background

I qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in 2011 and worked as a veterinary surgeon for seven years in a variety of contexts - the UK, the US and a large animal shelter in Delhi, India. In 2019, I completed a Master's degree in Medical Anthropology. I started my PhD at the University of Glasgow in 2021 and am currently in my third year.

Current research

At least 59,000 people a year still die from rabies and more than 99% of these cases are the result of transmission from an infected dog. A global target of zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030 has been set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and partners. However, the true burden of dog-mediated rabies is still unclear in many countries due to inadequate disease surveillance. This lack of effective surveillance often results in significant underreporting of rabies cases, which can lead to countries determining rabies control not to be a public health priority. Consequently, control measures are often not implemented appropriately resulting in needless human deaths.

I am using participatory systems mapping approaches (with a focus on process mapping) to better understand rabies surveillance and control in different endemic contexts and determine how they might be improved. My approach aims to bring stakeholders from a range of backgrounds together (in particular, those from both human and animal health sectors) to create or enhance a One Health approach to rabies surveillance and control. In the future, I hope to have the opportunity to apply these methodologies in other disease outbreak contexts, as we work towards improved global pandemic preparedness.

Research interests

• Zoonotic diseases
  
• One Health
• Systems science
• Process mapping
• Outbreak response
• Pandemic preparedness
• Medical anthropology

List by: Type | Date

• Dr Nai Rui Chng
• Professor Katie Hampson
• Professor Peter Craig