Dr. Lian Thomas

I am a University of Liverpool post-doctoral research associate on the ‘ZooLinK’ project, working specifically on the economics of zoonotic disease surveillance. I am currently based in Nairobi as a visiting scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).

I undertook my PhD within the Zoonotic & Emerging Diseases research group (ZED group), supported by the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). My work focused on the epidemiology of T. solium cysticercosis in the human and porcine populations of western Kenya.  Since completing my PhD in 2013 I have been based in Zimbabwe and Zambia, working as an independent consultant on projects for the World Health Organisation, Australian Animal Health Laboratories, and ILRI. I have also been involved in the Global Waters Pathogens Project, Cystinet Europe and sat on the zoonotic disease task force for the Zambia National Public Health Institute.

Originally from the north coast of Cornwall in the UK I studied veterinary medicine at St. Georges University in Grenada, West Indies and undertook research for my MSc in Uganda in conjunction with Makerere University. I have a particular interest in the relationship between animal health and economic development, surveillance and control of zoonotic disease and the use of digital technology in disease surveillance.

• Fèvre EM , De Glanville WA, Thomas LF, Cook EAJ, Kariuki S, Wamae CN, An integrated study of human and animal infectious diseases in the Lake Victoria Crescent small-holder crop-livestock production system, Kenya, BMC Infectious Diseases, 2017, 17:457, https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-017-2559-6
• Okello A & Thomas LF, Human taeniasis: current insights into prevention and management strategies in endemic countries, Invited review for Journal of Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 2017: 10, 107-116, https://www.dovepress.com/human-taeniasis-current-insights-into-prevention-and-management-strate-peer-reviewed-article-RMHP
• Thomas LF, de Glanville WG, Cook EA, Bronsvoort BMDeC, Handel I, Wamae NC, Kariuki S, Fèvre EM. Modelling the risk of Taenia solium transmission from pork produced in Western Kenya, PLOS NTD, 2017, 11(2), http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005371
• Thomas LF*, Bishop RP*, Onzere C, McIntosh M, Lemire KC, Cook EAJ, Glanville WA, Fèvre EM, Evidence for the presence of African swine fever virus in an endemic region of Western Kenya in the absence of any reported outbreak, BMC Veterinary Research, 2016, 12:192, *contributed equally. https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-016-0830-5
• Okello AL, Thomas LF, Inthavong P, Ash A, Khamlome B, Keokamphet C, Newberry K, Gauci CG, Gabriel S, Dorny P, Thompson RCA, Lightowlers MW, Allen J, Assessing the impact of a joint human-porcine intervention package for Taenia solium control: Results of a pilot study from northern Lao PDR, Acta Tropica, 2016, 159, pp185-191, http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0001-706X(16)30102-4
• Thomas LF,, Harrison LJS, Toye, P,  de Glanville WA, Cook EAJ, Wamae, Fèvre EM Prevalence of Taenia solium cysticercosis in pigs entering the food chain in western Kenya, Tropical Animal Health & Production, 2016 48(1) pp.233-238, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11250-015-0949-6
• Wardrop NA, Thomas LF, Atkinson PM, de Glanville WA, Cook EAJ, Wamae CN, Gabriël S, Dorny P, Harrison LJS, Fèvre EM. The influence of socio-economic, behavioural and environmental factors on Taenia spp. transmission in western Kenya: evidence from a cross-sectional survey in humans and pigs. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2015, 9(12), http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0004223
• Thomas LF, De-Glanville WG, Cook EA, Fèvre EM, The spatial ecology of free-ranging domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) in Western Kenya, BMC Veterinary Research, 2013, 9:46, https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1746-6148-9-4

Lian.Thomas@NOSPAMzoonotic-diseases.org (please remove the ‘NOSPAM’ part of the address before sending)