The Elizabeth Blackwell Institute and Cabot Institute are organising a workshop on understanding the impact of interventions to control infectious diseases in animals and humans using quantitative modelling approaches.  The workshop will take place from 2 pm - 5 pm.

Aim

The aim of the workshop is to formulate specific research questions with a view of catalysing ideas for developing major grant applications.

We would like to get a wide representation from across faculties in the university with a view of setting up a new cross-faculty research Group on Disease Modelling and Intervention Evaluation.

There may be seed funding available from the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute to support multidisciplinary projects resulting from the workshop and leading to major funding bids.  Visit the Elizabeth Blackwell funding site for more information. 

Background

Infectious disease continues to cause preventable morbidity and mortality in animals and humans. Quantitative approaches such as mathematical modelling, computer simulation, statistical evidence synthesis and economic cost-effectiveness analysis are all used to understand the epidemiology of specific infections, but also to compare interventions, to provide robust scientific evidence to policy makers. The problem is that cutting edge methodological techniques may not always be available to policy makers and practitioners and similarly the disease specific and practical knowledge of clinical practice may not be available to the theoreticians. Further the technical skills themselves are spread across a number of disciplines and faculties and the opportunities to develop meaningful collaborations are limited.  A key element of developing effective collaborations across the University is to ensure maximum impact and translation into practice which is only possible if the research is clearly focussed on a specific decision problem, the research is scientifically robust and appropriate and that the relevant clinical and government partners are engaged at an early stage. Our ability to use genomic data is likely to be limited by our ability to process, analyse and interpret it and we wish to expand our existing capacity and develop novel methodologies for using genomic data for routine surveillance and assessing impact of complex interventions at a population level. 

We are creating a new cross-faculty research group: Disease Modelling and Intervention Evaluation Group, spanning both the School of Social and Community Medicine (SCCM) and School of Veterinary Sciences (SCM) and this workshop would provide a focus for its launch. The aim of the group is

1. To facilitate the transfer of quantitative methods, and infectious disease expertise throughout the University
2. Foster excellent translational research which benefits health
3. Raise the profile and impact of our research by increasing the visibility and accessibility of the research findings to policy makers and the public. 

Register

Please register your interest in attending the workshop and/or being part of the group by sending an email to ebi-health@bris.ac.uk by Friday 14 February 2014.  Please note that workshop spaces are limited.

Conveners

Katy Turner

NIHR Research Fellow & Senior Lecturer Veterinary Infectious Disease, Katy.Turner@bristol.ac.uk

Nina Couzin

Elizabeth Blackwell Institute Manager, Nina.couzin@bristol.ac.uk

Philippa Bayley

Cabot Institute Manager, Philippa.Bayley@bristol.ac.uk