AUTUMN 20152016 In this issue: Ending TB Tackling Zika New free online courses On the move: the race to keep forced migrants healthy Contents 2 Message from the Director 4 Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease 6 Former England rugby players to help major study into effects of the game on brain health 6 Obituary: Dr Jeroen Ensink 7 In focus: the School’s work on Zika 8 Images of the School’s alumni community around the world 10 Ending TB: the race to control a disease in hiding 11 Meera Senthilingam 12 On the move: the race to keep forced migrants healthy 14 Project to develop new poultry vaccines awarded £5.7 million 15 Professor Sir Brian Greenwood awarded the 2015 MRC Millennium Medal 17 A Pair of Sparkling Eyes – An appreciation of Lady 16 Shauna Alumni GoslingProfile: Dr Liz Wala 18 Introducing the new Chairman of Council 19 Dr Patricia Mechael wins British Council Social Impact Award 20 Low-paid workers ‘less depressed’ after introduction of the national minimum wage WELCOME 21 New Executive Global Health Leadership programme 22 Thank You Message from the 24 Alumni Events Director 25 Alumni Chapters 26 Free Online Courses 27 New Distance Learning MSc in Demography & Health LastWelcome year, toall the eyes 2016 were edition on the of struggle Alumni toNews contain the 2928 Message Mwanza Interventionfrom the Student Trials Representative Unit: Council Showcasing Successful Collaboration In Tanzania fewEbola months epidemic of 2016 in West have Africa, been dominatedand to learn by the Zika lessons 29 Obituary: Professor Harrison Spencer virus,for global and health the epidemic governance of microcephaly and response. and The other first 30 Band Aid Nurse Dame Claire Bertschinger neurological disorders. I am immensely proud of the returns to Ethiopia response of our staff, alumni and students to these 31 New Health in Humanitarian Crises Centre and drawing on their knowledge and experience to 31 Stacey L. Knobler: President of the American global threats, directly and selflessly assisting patients Friends of the School develop research programmes, and advise governments and international agencies. 32 Gay sex survey: why preventing HIV means 34 Could dog detectives sniff out malaria? calling an end to finger pointing mission and is critical to our success. Along with ourWorking growing in partnership research portfolio is central and to its our associated School’s collaborations, we have strengthened links with the Edited & compiled by Alice Perry. Cover Image Credit: Mark Fullerton, courtesy of London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Wellcome Trust Africa Centre for Health & Population WELCOME Studies, a joint initiative with including Ebola in Context, Global previous records by raising more Blindness and Improving the Health than £150,000 towards our ‘Bricks and Mortarboards’. The student wellUniversity as the CollegeCentre forLondon the Control and the and this year we are running courses volunteer callers were inspired by ofUniversity Chronic Conditionsof KwaZulu with Natal, the as All onof Women, Zika and Children Humanitarian and Adolescents, Crises, speaking with alumni and we all India Institute of Medical Sciences, with others in the pipeline. greatly appreciate your support. the Public Health Foundation of India In November, we welcomed Dame As alumni of the London School strengthened our partnerships with Marjorie Scardino as our new of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, keyand institutionsEmory University. including We Sichuanhave also Chairman of Council, taking the you are part of a growing global place of Sir Tim Lankester, who led community in around 180 countries, the School during a period of growth all united by our shared mission of University in China, Nagasaki and success. Dame Marjorie brings improving health worldwide. You University in Japan, and the National a huge wealth of experience as a have a tremendous part to play in University of Singapore. global business leader, and together our collective future, ensuring our and innovating our educational with her understanding of health School continues to make important programmes,We are making by progress placing morein improving and humanitarian work. Her arrival contributions to public and global emphasis on the student experience, has already opened many new doors, health, and we look forward to ideas and involvement. There are for example our recent collaboration keeping in touch. also opportunities for students to with the Carter Center. engage with alumni, for example through careers talks. Over the past Finally, I would like to thank year, more than 30,000 participants, everyone who gave so generously to including many alumni, have our Alumni fundraising campaign studied MOOCs (free online courses) this year – again we have broken Professor Peter Piot Alumni News 5 Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease CarterFormer met US PresidentSchool staff Jimmy and launchedCarter, who a Carter is an Honorary Center Exhibition,Fellow of the Countdown School, visited to Zero: the DefeatingUK in February. Disease, President with a special lecture and reception. successful strategies can bring about enormous social and economic The challenges of eradicating devastating diseases are significant, but wherebenefits. it wasFollowing hosted an by opening the School. at the Countdown American toMuseum Zero: Defeating of Natural Disease History, exploresa second theversion factors of thethat exhibition determine was if a created disease and is eradicable, premiered as in well the UK,as the scientific and social innovations that are ridding the world of ancient afflictions.The exhibition used stunning photography to highlight several global efforts 30 years that may soon eradicate Guinea worm disease, positioning it to becometo fight infections. only the second Chief amonghuman these disease is aever campaign eradicated, running after for smallpox. more than The exhibition also highlights ongoing programmes to eradicate polio; eliminate diseases that cannot be eradicated, including Ebola. river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, and malaria; and the challenge of “The number of cases of Guinea worm disease continued to decrease in President Carter, whose Carter Center leads the international campaign to 2015, bringing Guinea worm eradication closer to the finish line,” said disease is very possible in the next few years, but success will require the strongeradicate commitment this water-borne and focus disease. of the “We four believe remaining eradication endemic of countries Guinea worm and the many international partners in this public health initiative.” Water filtration pipe to help prevent School staff meeting with President Jimmy Carter Guinea Worm on his trip to the UK in February. 6 Alumni News Former England rugby players to help major study into effects of the game on brain health Former England international rugby players are set to be recruited for the next phase of a major study examining the possible long-term effects of the game on brain health. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is London,working Thewith Institute the Rugby of FootballOccupational Union, Medicine, together with researchers from Queen Mary University of to study the possible link between a history of concussionUniversity College and neurodegenerative London and Oxford disease University, in former rugby players. The project aims to provide a greater amount of information on the potential medium and long- term neurocognitive risks of playing rugby than is RFU Collection/Getty Images currently available from other studies Obituary: Dr Jeroen Ensink It is with great sadness we share the news of the tragic death of Dr Jeroen Ensink, countries. His own research was Senior Lecturer in Public Health Engineering at the School. At the request of Dr rigorous but always practical. He Ensink’s family and colleagues, we have established the Jeroen Ensink Memorial Fund to support MSc Scholarships for students from sub-Saharan Africa and South and, at the time of his death, was Asia to become future leaders in public health. leadingpublished a large over study50 scientific in the Democratic papers Republic of Congo to understand how Dr Ensink was an internationally improvements in water supply and renowned water engineer and other measures could control and dedicated humanitarian. He was prevent cholera outbreaks. committed to a simple cause: improving access to water and The School’s Director Professor Peter sanitation in countries where children Piot paid a tribute saying: continue to die needlessly due to the “This is a terrible tragedy, and our lack of these basic services. deepest condolences go to his family and friends. Jeroen was a highly valued As a researcher and educator, member of the School community and Dr Ensink’s career crossed many all of us who knew him will remember continents. He lived and worked in him as a warm and committed friend countries including Pakistan, India, and colleague. He will be hugely missed by all the staff and students and collaborated with numerous who had the opportunity to know and Vietnam, Tanzania and Malawi, universities and international agencies. work with him, and it is now up to all He devoted particular effort to building of us to ensure that the legacy of his Credit: Nadja Ensink-Teich local research capacity in developing work will continue.” IN FOCUS: Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Our School’s work on Zika The School is actively Professor Rosanna Peeling is part of coordinating the School’s response involved in responding andProfessor staff