Research

SOME OF the research areas we have worked on

METRICS: BURDEN OF DISEASE

Burden of disease is the impact of a health condition, as measured by mortality, morbidity, disability or financial cost indicators. We have conducted a number of investigations on the burden of infectious (eg. respiratory, enteric, vector-borne) and non-communicable diseases.

emergency and preparedness research

We have conducted research to strengthen emergency response systems. Previous work include assessments of guidelines and intervention practices for the control of pandemics and the elaboration of recommendations to optimize the effectiveness of mobile phones as aid devices.

EVOLUTIONARY & ANIMAL RESEARCH

We have also developed a number of studies in evolutionary biology, including theoretical work questioning inclusive fitness theory for the evolution of biological altruism, a pioneer study on the role of environmental variability on the evolution of advanced cognition, and a new hypothesis on the evolution of aposematic colors.

effectiveness of interventions

We have been involved in projects on the impact of public health interventions, including the effectiveness of the pneumococcal vaccines to reduce pneumonia mortality in low- and middle income countries and the timing and composition of seasonal influenza immunization in tropical regions.

historical epidemiology

While investigating major global disease challenges we also delved into the past to look for patterns and clues to present disease threats. By doing so, we have contributed to the understanding of past pandemics and of the importance of specific policies in public health.

METRICS OF
WELFARE

Concerns about the quality of life of farm animals are rapidly growing. However, for changes in consumption and industry practices to be effective in mitigating the welfare costs of animal food production they need to be well-informed. Since 2017 we have been working on the analysis of farm animal health and welfare in different production systems to fulfill that purpose.

DISEASE
DYNAMIcS

Understanding how disease spreads is central to designing effective control and mitigation strategies. We have examined how infectious diseases (e.g. influenza, rotavirus) spread across time and space in several countries, as well as investigated the underlying risk factors associated with these diseases.

modeling and analytical tools

We have developed several modelling studies and analytical tools, among which the software Epipoi (box below). Other work include an analytical tool for simulating the impact of immunization strategies against measles and a collaboration for the development of a visual model of rotavirus epidemics.

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