Russell Dacombe

Senior Research Associate

Senior Research Associate, attached to Community Health Systems Group (CHSG) and the Centre for Capacity Research Unit (CCR) at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM).

Background

Russell has been the laboratory systems specialist for Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health (LATH) since October 2005. He subsequently joined LSTM in 2012 to work on laboratory capacity development methodologies and diagnostic implementation research.  He has worked across Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia on numerous projects linked to the strengthening of diagnostic, regulatory and policy capacity. Previous to this appointment Russell was the laboratory manager at a research laboratory in Northern Malawi. Before his work in Malawi, Russell had worked as a senior biomedical scientist at University College Hospitals NHS Trust.

Teaching

Russell is the convenor of the MSc module Medical Bacteriology and currently lecturers on the DTM&H and the MSc in Tropical and Infectious Disease at LSTM. He also conducts workshops and lecturers in a number of developing countries and has been involved in the development and delivery of an undergraduate course for laboratory workers in Malawi.

Research

Main interests include the development of integrated laboratory services in sub-Saharan Africa, effective capacity development, the process of regulation and policy development across multiple sectors and the evaluation of educational courses in the developing world.

Other relevant expertise

Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education

 

Recent publications: 

    Selected publications

    • Abouyannis M, Dacombe R, Dambe I, Mpunga J, Faragher B, Gausi F, Ndhlovu H, Kachiza C, Suarez P, Mundy C, Banda HT, Nyasulu I, Squire SB. Drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Malawi: a cross-sectional survey. Bull World Health Organ. 2014 Nov 1;92(11):798-806

      Iyer V, Azhar GS, Choudhury N, Dhruwey VS, Dacombe R, Upadhyay A. 2014. Infectious disease burden in Gujarat (2005-2011): comparison of selected infectious disease rates with India.Emerg Health Threats J.  Mar 19;7:22838

      Njelesani J, Dacombe R, Palmer T, Smith H, Koudou B, Bockarie M, Bates I. 2014. A systematic approach to capacity strengthening of laboratory systems for control of neglected tropical diseases in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Sri Lanka.PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014 Mar 6;8(3):e2736. 

      Ramsay R, Cuevas L, Mundy CJF, Nathanson C, Chirambo P, Dacombe R, Squire SB, Salaniponi FML, Munthali S. 2009. “New policies, new technologies: Modelling the potential for improved smear microscopy services in Malawi.” PLoS 4(11):e7760. 

      Bell DJ, Dacombe R, Graham SM, Hicks A, Cohen D, Chikaonda T, French N, Molyneux ME, Zijlstra EE, Squire SB, Gordon SB. 2009. ”Simple measures are as effective as invasive techniques in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in Malawi.” Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 13(1):99-104. 

      R.J. Dacombe, A.C. Crampin, S. Floyd, A. Randall, R. Ndhlovu, Q. Bickle, P.E.M. Fine. 2007 “Time delays between patient and laboratory selectively affect accuracy of helminth diagnosis”  Trans Roy Soc Trop Med 101 (2): 140-145