These are the staff awarded full professor status in the most recent recognition of distinction process:
George Warimwe, Professor of Vaccinology
Yoel Lubell, Professor of Global Health
Frank Smithuis, Professor of Tropical Medicine
Lorenz von Seidlein, Professor of Global Health
Professor Yoel Lubell leads the Economics and Implementation Research Group at the MORU Mathematical and Economic Modelling Group, based in Bangkok, Thailand. His research focuses on the evaluation of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines for infectious diseases, with the aim of providing guidance on malaria elimination and control of artemisinin resistance in the Mekong region.
Professor Frank Smithuis is the director of MOCRU, our Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit. MOCRU involves a network of 18 clinics and 2040 community health workers in remote areas.
Most research questions originate from the day to day health issues in this network. Research interests include the epidemiology and management of artemisinin resistant malaria, the aetiology and management of fever, and the management of TB, HIV and opportunistic infections.
Professor Lorenz von Seidlein coordinates MORU’s Targeted Malaria Elimination study, which seeks to eliminate artemisinin resistant falciparum malaria by treating entire communities that have significant levels of subclinical malaria parasite infections and transmission with the antimalarial dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine.
Professor George Warimwe works on viral infections transmitted between humans and animals in Africa, developing vaccines for their control. An example is Rift Valley Fever - a mosquito-borne viral illness that primarily affects humans and livestock (sheep, goats, cattle) in Africa – for which Prof. Warimwe has developed a novel chimpanzee adenovirus vectored vaccine, that is highly efficacious in livestock and is currently in human phase I clinical trials. His previous work includes a similar One Health vaccine for use against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in camels and humans, with his veterinary research programmes continuing to inform advances in human vaccinology.
Prof Warimwe’s other work includes addressing the global shortage in Yellow Fever (YF) vaccine supply through leadership of trials to evaluate the utility of fractional vaccine dosing for epidemic control. Findings from this work will have a major impact on the number of doses that can be given based on the current global stock of YF vaccine and the number of doses that are produced for future use. His recent work on COVID-19 serology in Kenya has informed decisions on the national pandemic response and remains one of the most comprehensive COVID-19 seroepidemiological programmes in Africa to date.
“I’m truly honoured by this recognition. It is testimony to the excellent mentorship received over the years and the immense contribution to vaccine R&D in Africa by the team of amazingly talented scientists that work with me in Kenya and Oxford” said Prof Warimwe.
Please join us in congratulating George, Frank, Lorenz and Yoel on this marvellous and richly deserved achievement!!
Read the News on the Nuffield Department of Medicine website