Shaping global mechanisms of infectious disease measurement
Working with normative agencies to gain insights into how infectious diseases around the world are monitored.
Can you share a brief outline of a recent knowledge exchange activity with an external partner?
I regularly engage with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNAIDS Geneva. Since 2022, I have sat on the UNAIDS Monitoring Technical Advisory Group (MTAG) (previous co-chair of the group; expert member since 2007), the WHO core HIV data advisory group and the WHO/UNAIDS recency assay working group. I also acted as co-chair of the WHO routine surveillance working group, co-authored a new chapter on harnessing the strength of routine data for HIV surveillance in the WHO 2022 Consolidated Guidelines on Person Centred HIV Strategic Information, and supported the development of the WHO/UNAIDS 2023 technical guidelines on recency assays. I also represented the WHO on a high-level call with the Russian Federation TWG on statistics, and provided expert advice at a global WHO partners HIV workshop in 2024.
What motivated you to work with these partners?
As the UK Principal HIV Scientist, I represented the UK at WHO, UNAIDS, Global Fund and other normative agencies. When I moved from government to academia in 2015, I retained my expert positions at these organisations. Working with these groups provides insights to how global mechanisms of disease surveillance operate, provides an opportunity for me to meet partners from across the globe, and for me to shape global mechanisms of infectious disease measurement.
How did you engage with them?
No funding is attached to my engagements with the normative agencies. I act as a topic expert sitting at the University of Sheffield. I engage through in-person and online advisory groups and workshops, and topic specific calls. In recognition of my inputs, colleagues at UNAIDS and WHO have regularly lent their support to my activities. For example, a WHO head of section kindly provided a recording to open a University of Sheffield global health symposium I ran in June of this year (2024), and UNAIDS and WHO surveillance leads attended and presented at an international symposium I ran in Zimbabwe in March, 2023.
What benefits have you seen as a result of this, both for your research and more widely?
Being exposed to global leaders and country leads, and gaining insights to global mechanisms of infectious disease surveillance. I promote the University of Sheffield on a global stage. I gain opportunities to write global guidance and to share my research findings on a global stage, and this has resulted in impact. For example, over the past five years, I have authored / co-authored nine national or international reports and guidelines, and had my research cited in 58 international or national policy documents. Ten of my peer-reviewed publications (five of which I was lead author) informed and were referenced by WHO's 2022 consolidated guidelines. Based on my research findings and stakeholder advocacy, I was successful in advocating for a new WHO recommendation on the collection of CD4 cell counts.
To discuss knowledge exchange and partnership opportunities with the Florey Institute, please contact us via scienceke@sheffield.ac.uk in the first instance. For academic collaboration opportunities, please direct your initial enquiry to a member of the Florey Management Board.