Azra Ghani
Azra Catherine Hilary Ghani | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | Imperial College London (PhD) University of Southampton (MSc) University of Cambridge (MA) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Imperial College London University of Oxford London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine |
| Thesis | Sexual patner networks and the epidemiology of gonorrhoea (1997) |
Azra Catherine Hilary Ghani FMedSci is a Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London. Her research considers the mathematical modelling of infectious diseases, including malaria, bovine spongiform encephalopathy and coronavirus. She has worked with the World Health Organization on their technical strategy for malaria.
Early life and education
Ghani studied mathematics at the University of Cambridge.[1] She graduated in 1989 before moving to the University of Southampton to complete a master's degree in operations research. She joined Imperial College London in 1993, where she researched the epidemiology of gonorrhea and sexual partner networks.[2] After earning her doctorate Ghani moved to the University of Oxford, where she was supported by a Wellcome Trust fellowship. She moved to Imperial College London as a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow.[3]
Research and career
In 2005 Ghani was appointed to the faculty at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Here she became interested malaria, particularly the disease's complexity, and the need to understand many aspects of science and society to better control it.[3] She returned to Imperial College London in 2007, where she serves as Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Head of the Malaria Modelling Research Group.[3] Her research considers the epidemiology of infectious disease, including malaria, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, HIV, SARS and coronavirus.[4] She develops mathematical models that can better describe the transmission dynamics of malaria, to visualise how it impacts both humans and mosquitoes, and use this insight to fight the disease.[4][5] Ghani serves on the malaria policy advisory committee of the World Health Organization.[4] She was elected to the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee.[6]
In 2017 Ghani was elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences.[7] Through her understanding of infectious diseases, Ghani looks to better inform public health interventions.[8] In 2020, during the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, Ghani reported self-isolation, home quarantine and social distancing could limit the number of UK deaths caused by the coronavirus to 20,000.[9][10] She worked with Neil Ferguson to show that during the course of the pandemic, the National Health Service would become overwhelmed by the number of cases.[9][11]
Awards and honours
Her awards and honours include:
- 2017 Elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences[7]
- 2017 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Chalmers medal[12]
Ghani is a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.[13]
Selected publications
Her publications include:
- Pandemic potential of a strain of influenza A (H1N1): early findings (DOI: 10.1126/science.1176062)[14]
- Submicroscopic Infection in Plasmodium falciparum-Endemic Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (DOI: 10.1086/644781)[15]
- Epidemiological determinants of spread of causal agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Hong Kong (DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)13410-1)[16]
References
- ^ "Bio Ghani - International Conference on Infectious Disease Dynamic - Elsevier". www.elsevier.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ Ghani, Azra Catherine Hilary (1997). Sexual patner networks and the epidemiology of gonorrhoea (Thesis).
- ^ a b c "WHO | Modelling: from runways to bednets". WHO. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ a b c "WHO | Current MPAC members". WHO. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Faces behind MNMUK". Malaria No More UK. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ The Government's Review of the Principles Applying to the Treatment of Independent Scientific Advice Provided to Government: Third Report of Session 2009-10, Vol. 2: Written Evidence. The Stationery Office. 2009. ISBN 978-0-215-54281-6.
- ^ a b "Professor Azra Ghani | The Academy of Medical Sciences". acmedsci.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Does travel make you ill? | Royal Society". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ a b "Subscribe to read | Financial Times". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "Sobering coronavirus study prompted Britain to toughen its approach". Reuters. 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "COVID-19: Scientists Question UK Government Plans". Medscape. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "11 reasons 2017 was a success for RSTMH". Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2017-12-14. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Honours and Memberships - Professor Azra Ghani". www.imperial.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ Cheng, Allen (2009-05-13). "Faculty of 1000 evaluation for Pandemic potential of a strain of influenza A (H1N1): early findings". F1000 - Post-publication peer review of the biomedical literature. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ Whittaker, Charles; Slater, Hannah; Bousema, Teun; Drakeley, Chris; Ghani, Azra; Okell, Lucy (2019-02-22). "Global & Temporal Patterns of Submicroscopic Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Infection". dx.doi.org. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ Donnelly, Christl A; Ghani, Azra C; Leung, Gabriel M; Hedley, Anthony J; Fraser, Christophe; Riley, Steven; Abu-Raddad, Laith J; Ho, Lai-Ming; Thach, Thuan-Quoc; Chau, Patsy; Chan, King-Pan (May 2003). "Epidemiological determinants of spread of causal agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Hong Kong". The Lancet. 361 (9371): 1761–1766. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(03)13410-1. ISSN 0140-6736.