Dr Rachael Thomson

Biography

Dr Rachael Thomson

Research Consortia CEO

• ENDpoint / FAME: Research and development for the elimination of neglected tropical diseases
• The LIGHT Consortium: Leaving no‑one behind: transforming gendered pathways to health for TB
• Deputy Head, Clinical Sciences Department: Lead for culture, sustainability, research management, and impact

As CEO, Rachael provides strategic leadership across the consortia, shaping their vision and ensuring the timely delivery of impactful and sustainable outcomes. Alongside her leadership of LIGHT, she serves as a technical adviser to the ReDress programme in Liberia and continues to contribute to health systems research on neglected tropical diseases at LSTM.

Previously, Rachael directed the CouNTDown research consortium within LSTM’s Department of Tropical Disease Biology, where she led work to develop cost‑effective, scalable, and sustainable strategies for controlling and eliminating common neglected tropical diseases.

Earlier in her career, she worked with the UK Department for International Development on communicable disease policy, and with a non‑governmental organisation supporting primary healthcare delivery in fragile and conflict‑affected settings, including Yemen and Somalia.

Research interests

During her time at LSTM, Rachael worked extensively on projects aimed at expanding tuberculosis and lung health services to primary care, strengthening neglected tropical disease programmes, and understanding pluralistic health systems. Her work has consistently centred on equity and aligns closely with the Universal Health Coverage commitment to “Leaving No‑one Behind.”

Her PhD examined pluralistic health systems in Sudan, a fragile state, using a social ecological framework to map the diverse ways in which communities interact with health services. With a broad background in health systems strengthening and health policy research across numerous low‑ and middle‑income countries, Rachael is driven by ensuring that evidence amplifies the voices and experiences of the most vulnerable populations.

Teaching

Rachael currently supervises a PhD student based at the Makerere Lung Institute in Kampala, Uganda, whose research focuses on enhancing tuberculosis case detection within health facilities.

Selected research publications

Did the WHO recognition of snakebite as a neglected tropical disease impact national NTD master plans in 15 African countries? – Journal: Toxicon – Published: 3rd December 2025

Co-creation of a gender responsive TB intervention in Nigeria: a researcher-led collaborative study – Journal: BMC Health Services Research – Published: 13th January 2025

Transition and change: opportunities and challenges of CHW programme reform for community health systems and vertical disease programmes in Liberia – Journal: Health Research Policy and Systems – Published: 7th October 2024

Finding the Missing Men with Tuberculosis: A Participatory Approach to Identify Priority Interventions in Uganda – Journal: Health Policy and Planning – Published: 30th September 2024

Illness experiences and mental health challenges associated with female genital schistosomiasis in Cameroon: a gender analysis – Journal: International Health – Published: 28th March 2024

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