DrRichard Sheppard

Supervised by Dr Peter Winskill, my current work focuses on optimising malaria interventions in locations where Plasmodium vivax is present. I am extending the malariasimulation package to run simulations with P. vivax in addition to, its default, P. falciparum.

I have also worked with Dr Patrick Walker on ascertaining and evaluating the impact of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan African countries (such as Mozambique and Zambia) where testing capabilities are limited. Using surveillance and mortuary data we modelled the impact of the pandemic to make inferences on the severity of COVID-19 in these regions.

My background is in ecology and evolutionary biology, with an emphasis on computational and mathematical methods including population biology modelling. During my PhD, I worked with Professors Tim Barraclough and Vincent Jansen, using a combination of microbiological lab work and population dynamic modelling to investigate plasmid persistence in microbial communities in the context of the spread of antibiotic resistance.