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Biography

Dan graduated as a veterinarian from the University of Cambridge, UK, with an intercalated MA in zoology in 2002. After a period in mixed and second opinion exotic animal veterinary practice he completed an MSc in Wild Animal Health in London in 2005. He then undertook a PhD working at Cambridge University, the APHA and CDC Atlanta USA, on zoonotic viral diseases of wildlife.

He completed his PhD in 2009 and joined the Virology Department at APHA Weybridge, undertaking surveillance and research programs for viral diseases of wildlife. Since February 2014 he has been at the School of Veterinary Medicine as a Lecturer, promoted to Senior Lecturer, Reader and then Professor of Veterinary Virology, continuing research into zoonotic viral diseases and teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level. He is Associate Dean Research and Innovation for the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, an elected representative of Senate on the University Council, an Editor for PloS Neglected Tropical Diseases and a Diplomate of the European College of Zoological Medicine.

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Biography

I am a mathematical modeller, with a background in industrial engineering, working in epidemiology to inform public health interventions. My research is highly multidisciplinary, combining mathematics, statistics, computer science, biology, economics, and social sciences. My primary focus is to inform surveillance, control, and elimination strategies for infectious diseases, particularly zoonosis and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Across these diseases, I have led the development of stochastic population- and individual-based mathematical models of disease transmission, using Bayesian statistical approaches for their calibration and exploring the use of machine-learning approaches and optimization algorithms, and integration with other disciplines. This has led to very fruitful international collaborations across Europe, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia, and the US. 

I have served in various funding panels (e.g. UKRI, Wellcome Trust) and international stakeholder working groups, and I chaired the United Against Rabies Forum (a WHO-WOAH-FAO initiative) “tool evaluation” workstream. I currently hold a visiting research position at North Carolina State University and held a similar position at the University of Warwick and Oxford University.

As faculty, I have mentored undergraduate and postgraduate tutees, several undergraduate research projects and lead a research group (@Pradalab on Twitter/X), funded by national and international agencies. Some of the group interests are:

Sustainable developments for Neglected Communities

My research group has developed mathematical models across a range of diseases to directly address World Health Organisation priority questions. We have collaborated extensively internationally, collating results from different mathematical models, to address key policy questions, such as the impact of COVID-19 on NTD programmes. We integrate our mathematical models with economic analysis, accounting for social and environmental drivers. Many of the diseases we tackle have a zoonotic component, thus a One Health approach, recognising the interconnection between humans, animals, and their shared environment, is needed. Outputs from our work directly influence policy in the development of guidelines for public and animal health interventions.

At ����Vlog, I was co-lead of the “Sustainable developments for Neglected Communities” programme of the Institute for Sustainability.

Improving the evaluation of diagnostics

One challenge of many parasitic diseases, such as Schistosomiasis or Echinococcosis, is the absence of a “gold standard” diagnostic that can be readily used. In my research group, we have led the development of Hidden Markov Models (Latent Class Analysis) for estimating infection status in a community and compare different diagnostics. It builds on methodology I developed over the years, which we have used across multiple parasitic diseases. One outcome of this work is the identification of thresholds that can be used by control and elimination programmes.

Strategies to control livestock diseases

Engaging with partners both in the UK, such as the Pirbright Institute, and internationally, such as North Carolina State University, we have developed statistical and mathematical models to support guidance to farmers and government bodies. In particular, We have worked in Foot and Mouth Disease in Cattle, Respiratory virus in Pigs (such as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus and African Swine Fever virus), and Nematodes in sheep. The outcomes of this work help reduce the impact these diseases have in the industry, while also optimising the use of drugs and vaccines.

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