Briefly, tell us about your background and career up to this point?
My journey into epidemiology began during my undergraduate studies at the University of Nottingham, where I developed an interest in disease mapping. This fascination led me to pursue a Master's in the Control of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), where I focused on statistical and mathematical models in epidemiology, particularly in relation to malaria.
Building on this work, I joined the Malaria Atlas Project at the University of Oxford and had the opportunity to spend nine months in Perth, Australia, as part of the project. In September 2020, I returned to LSHTM to pursue a PhD titled Latent Class Models for Diagnostic Test Accuracy with Application to Fever Aetiology, while also working part-time as a trial statistician.
Following my PhD, I took on a short-term role as an Epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, where I contributed to surveillance efforts for the new RSV immunisation programme. In October 2024, I joined the St John's Institute of Dermatology at King's College London, where I now work as a Research Fellow and Study Coordinator for the Global Atopic Dermatitis Atlas.
What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?
Don't give up on math just because the theory might not seem exciting—applied statistics gets much more interesting!
Do you have any current projects that you’d like to tell us about?
I am currently coordinating an international consensus exercise with a colleague from Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, which aims to reach consensus on which key variables should be recommended for future population-based epidemiological studies on atopic dermatitis and how they should be assessed. The project will involve recruiting experts in dermatology and epidemiology to participate in an e-Delphi exercise.
What do you do with your time outside academia/work?
Outside of work, you’ll find me exploring coffee shops around Southwest London with my dog or at the gym, training in Olympic-style weightlifting.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
This year, I'm excited to celebrate the many weddings of friends and family.
What is something positive that happened to you over the last year?
I had my PhD graduation and was able to celebrate with friends and family.
What is your favourite part of your role?
My favourite part of my role is collaborating with colleagues worldwide on projects that make a difference to global health, no matter how big or small.
QUICK-FIRE:
Favourite London restaurant: BAO
Favourite cuisine: Sir Lankan
Coffee order: Latte
Most-used emoji: Crying laughing-face
Your pet peeve: Slow walkers