Miss Isabel Saldanha

Research interests

My research focuses on developing and using novel molecular methods for infectious disease surveillance. I am interested in how we can improve and use these techniques to learn more about disease ecology and complex transmission dynamics. I have a particular interest in diseases at the livestock-wildlife-human interface, emerging infectious zoonoses and vector-borne diseases. I am also passionate about building in-country capacity for disease surveillance systems, with a focus on point-of-need molecular diagnostics. 

Biography

I am a Post-Doctoral Research Associate with 10 years of experience in molecular diagnostics and One Health infectious disease research. I lead laboratory-based projects and activities as part of the Tsetse Collective at LSTM, with a focus on trypanosomiasis disease surveillance and epidemiology in tsetse vectors and animal hosts. I develop and use novel molecular tools to learn more about disease ecology, build research capacity and increase accessibility to diagnostics.

I have a background in veterinary medicine, graduating from The Royal Veterinary College with a BSc (Hons) in Veterinary Sciences in 2014. I then went on to complete an MSc in Veterinary Microbiology at the University of Surrey, where I investigated a novel coronavirus species in British hedgehogs. I subsequently worked in a Manchester-based clinical diagnostics start-up, where I developed LAMP assays for the detection of viral and bacterial pathogens. I joined the Tsetse Collective as a Research Technician in 2019, becoming a Research Associate and commencing a part-time PhD in 2021. I completed my PhD in 2025 and now work as a PDRA on the GAMBIT project, working to eliminate sleeping sickness in DRC.

Outside of work I enjoy trail running, live music and antagonising my cat Ripley.

Teaching

I am a regular contributor to the MSc/MRes courses, where I supervise or co-supervise final research projects, provide practical laboratory training, assist in practical classes (for example, tsetse dissection and FSC field trip) and give lectures on tsetse and other related vectors. I have also run molecular diagnostics training workshops for both Liverpool and field-based staff. In 2024 I qualified as a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (FHEA).

Selected research publications

Development and pilot application of a point-of-need molecular xenomonitoring protocol for tsetse (Glossina sp.) in a low-resource setting – Journal: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases – Published: 23rd March 2026

Caught in a trap: DNA contamination in tsetse xenomonitoring can lead to over-estimates of Trypanosoma brucei infection – Journal: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases – Published: 12th August 2024

Consistent detection of Trypanosoma brucei but not T. congolense DNA in faeces of experimentally infected cattle – Journal: Scientific Reports – Published: 20th February 2024

Trypa-NO! contributes to the elimination of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis by combining tsetse control with “screen, diagnose and treat” using innovative tools and strategies – Journal: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases – Published: 12th November 2020

Extension of the known distribution of a novel clade C betacoronavirus in a wildlife host – Journal: Epidemiology and Infection – Published: 3rd April 2019

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