Dr Dima El Safadi

Research Program Manager

Dr Dima El Safadi is a distinguished microbiologist and public health expert renowned for her contributions to understanding and combating infectious diseases.

She holds a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Lille 2 in France and additional degrees in Medical Microbiology and Applied Health Sciences from the Lebanese University.

Dima's research career has been dedicated to unravelling the complexities of infectious disease transmission and pathogenicity, with a particular focus on emerging parasitic protozoan diseases.

Her doctoral research laid the groundwork for her subsequent investigations into infectious human and zoonotic diseases, including those affecting vulnerable and displaced populations in the MENA region.

After completing her PhD, Dima joined the Lebanese University as a faculty member and senior researcher. She has mentored numerous students, taught a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and was promoted to full professor in 2021.

Research areas

1. Infectious Disease Transmission and Pathogenicity:
My research has focused extensively on understanding how infectious diseases spread, particularly in high-risk populations. I've explored both human and zoonotic transmission patterns, delving into the molecular mechanisms that drive the pathogenicity of emerging diseases. This has been particularly valuable in addressing public health concerns in vulnerable and displaced populations in the MENA region, where environmental and social conditions often exacerbate the spread of infectious diseases.

2. Vaccine Development for Infectious Diseases:
At the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, I oversee clinical trials aimed at developing vaccines for infectious diseases. My work is centred on microbiological challenge models that assess vaccine efficacy and safety. This involves close collaboration with immunologists and clinical teams to create robust trial protocols, ensuring that the vaccines being tested address both existing and emerging pathogens.

3. Impact of COVID-19 on Antimicrobial Resistance in Pneumococcus:
My ongoing research examines whether COVID-19 has influenced antimicrobial resistance in pneumococcus. I'm currently investigating the presence of resistant genes in pneumococcal strains isolated before and after the pandemic. While I am still exploring whether resistance has increased post-COVID, my work aims to understand any potential shifts caused by pandemic-related changes in antibiotic use. This research will help assess the long-term impacts on treatment efficacy and inform future antibiotic management strategies

 

Selected publications

  • El Safadi D, Hitchins L, Howard A, Aley P, Bowman J, Bertran M, Collins A, Colin-Jones R, Elterish F, Fry NK, Gordon SB, Gould K, Hinds J, Horn E, Hyder-Wright A, Kandasamy R, Ladhani S, Litt D, Mitsi E, Murphy A, Pollard AJ, Plested E, Pojar S, Ratcliffe H, Robertson MC, Robinson H, Snape MD, Solórzano C, Voysey M, Begier E, Catusse J, Lahuerta M, Theilacker C, Gessner BD, Tiley KS, Ferreira DM. Pneumococcal carriage and disease in adults in England 2011-2019: the importance of adults as a reservoir for pneumococcus in communities. J Infect Dis. 2024 Jul 16:jiae351. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiae351. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39013016

    Carter E, Morton B, ElSafadi D, Jambo K, Kenny-Nyazika T, Hyder-Wright A, Chiwala G, Chikaonda T, Chirwa AE, Gonzalez Sanchez J, Yip V, Biagini G, Pennington SH, Saunderson P, Farrar M, Myerscough C, Collins AM, Gordon SB, Ferreira DM. A feasibility study of controlled human infection with intradermal Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) injection: Pilot BCG controlled human infection model. Wellcome Open Res. 2024 Jun 5;8:424. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.19811.2. PMID: 39219857; PMCID: PMC11362739.

    Hazenberg P, Robinson RE, Farrar M, Solorzano C, Hyder-Wright A, Liatsikos K, Brunning J, Fleet H, Bettam A, Howard A, Kenny-Nyazika T, Urban B, Mitsi E, El Safadi D, Davies K, Lesosky M, Gordon SB, Ferreira DM, Collins AM. Serotype 3 Experimental Human Pneumococcal Challenge (EHPC) study protocol: dose ranging and reproducibility in a healthy volunteer population (challenge 3). BMJ Open. 2024 Jan 10;14(1):e075948. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075948. PMID: 38199622; PMCID: PMC10806732.

    El Safadi D, Osman M, Hanna A, Hajar I, Kassem II, Khalife S, Dabboussi F, Hamze M. Parasitic Contamination of Fresh Leafy Green Vegetables Sold in Northern Lebanon. Pathogens. 2023 Aug 4;12(8):1014. doi: 10.3390/pathogens12081014. PMID: 37623974; PMCID: PMC10459145.

    El Safadi D, Merhabi S, Rafei R, Mallat H, Hamze M, Acosta-Serrano A. Cutaneous leishmaniasis in north Lebanon: re-emergence of an important neglected tropical disease. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2019 Aug 1;113(8):471-476. doi: 10.1093/trstmh/trz030. PMID: 31111942.