Dr Jennifer Lord

Lecturer in Vector-Borne Disease Ecology

Jennie completed her PhD in wildlife parasitology at the University of Salford (2005 – 2010). After four years in industry at United Research Services as an ecological consultant (2008 – 2012) she secured a postdoctoral position at the Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida (2012 – 2015). Here she focussed on the transmission ecology of Japanese encephalitis virus in Bangladesh before moving to LSTM to work with Prof. Steve Torr on tsetse and trypanosomiasis (2015 – 2020).

Research

Jennie combines data produced by field- and laboratory-based research with statistical and dynamical modelling to address:

  • How ecological and environmental context influences vector population and pathogen transmission dynamics
  • Implications of vector and pathogen evolution for transmission ecology
  • Consequences of anthropogenic change for pathogen transmission and control

Her aim is to contribute to new and improved methods for vector-borne disease surveillance and control, with a focus on the trypanosomiases and mosquito-borne viruses.

Current research projects
MRC 2021 - 2024. Strengthening Resilience against Sleeping Sickness in Malawi (STRESS) (Co-I)
NERC Highlight Topics 2021 - 2025. Identifying inter-epizootic transmission routes of Rift Valley fever virus in Tanzania to inform targeted control strategies for outbreak response (PI)
MRC Career Development Award 2022 - 2027. From alternative hosts to alternative interventions: identifying drivers of epidemic dynamics for Japanese encephalitis virus in Bangladesh (PI)

Lab group

Joshua Longbottom PDRA

Teaching

Module co-convenor TROP741 MSc Tropical Disease Biology

 

Recent publications: 

    Selected publications

    • Lord J.S., Hargrove J.W., Torr S.J. and Vale, G.A. (2018). Climate change and African trypanosomiasis vector populations in Zimbabwe's Zambezi Valley: a mathematical modelling study.

      PLoS Medicine.

      Lord J.S., Torr S.J., Auty H.K., Brock P., Byamungu M., Hargrove J.W., Morrison L.J., Mramba F., Vale G.A. and Stanton M.C. (2018). Geostatistical models using remotely-sensed data predict savanna tsetse decline across the interface between protected and unprotected areas in Serengeti, Tanzania. Journal of Applied Ecology. doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13091.

      Lord J.S., Mthombothi Z., Lagat V.K., Atuhaire F. and Hargrove J.W (2017). Host-seeking effciency can explain population dynamics of the tsetse  fly Glossina morsitans morsitans in response to host density decline. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 11(7).doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0005730.

      Auty H., Morrison L., Torr S. and Lord J.S. (2016). Transmission dynamics of Rhodesian sleeping sickness at the interface of wildlife and livestock areas. Trends in Parasitology. 32 (8), pgs 608-621: doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2016.05.003.

      Lord J.S., Al-Amin H.M, Chakma S., Alam S., Gurley E. and Pulliam J.R.C (2016). Sampling design influences the observed dominance of Culex tritaeniorhynchus: considerations for future studies of Japanese encephalitis virus transmission. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 10(1): e0004249. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0004249.

      Lord J.S., Gurley E. and Pulliam J.R.C (2015). Rethinking Japanese encephalitis virus transmission: a framework for implicating host and vector species. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 9(12): e0004074. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0004074.

      Al-Amin H.M., Elahi R., Mohon A.N., Abdullah M., Ka H., Chakma S., Lord J.S., Khan W.A.,Haque R., Norris D.E. and Alam M.S. (2015). Role of under-appreciated vectors in malaria transmission in an endemic region of Bangladesh-India border. Parasites and Vectors. 8:195 DOI 10.1186/s13071-015-0803-8.

      Lord J.S. and Brooks D.R. (2014). Bat endoparasites: a UK perspective. In: Bats (Chiroptera) as vectors of diseases and parasites, facts and myths. Parasitology Research Monographs. 5, pgs 63-86.

      Dodd N.S., Lord J.S., Jehle R., Parker S., Parker F., Brooks D.R. and Hide G. (2014). Toxoplasma gondii: prevalence in species and genotypes of British bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus and P. pygmaeus). Experimental Parasitology. 139, pgs 6-11.

      Lord J.S., Parker S., Parker F. and Brooks D. (2012). Gastrointestinal helminths of pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus/ Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) of England. Parasitology. 139(3), pgs 366-74.

      Aryal A., Brunton D., Shreshta T., Koirala R., Lord J.S., Thapa B., Adhikari B., Ji W. and Raubenheimer D., (2012). The Northern Barandabhar Forest Corridor provides essential habitat connectivity for rhino and tiger in Nepal: biological diversity and management regimes. Tropical Conservation Science. 5(1), 38-49.