Erin Johnston

e.johnston.2@research.gla.ac.uk

 

ORCID iDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4705-3105

Research title: Xenosurveillance of Japanese encephalitis virus in Australia and the Philippines

Research Summary

Hi my name is Erin and I'm a PhD student on the Wellcome Trust - Integrative Infection Biology programme. I am interested in studying neglected tropical diseases and improving their surveillance. My PhD focuses on xenosurveillance of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in the Philippines and Australia. 

JEV is a virus spread by Culex mosquitoes in Asia and Australia and can infect many different hosts, with each host species having a different impact on the transmission cycle. Xenosurveillance is disease surveillance that uses mosquito-based approaches for pathogens of human and veterinary importance. I am applying mid-infrared spectroscopy and machine-learning methods (MIRS-ML) to determine host species of mosquito bloodmeals in Australia and the Philippines. I work with multiple in-country partners, including the University of Sydney and Field Epidemiology Training Program Alumni Foundation, Inc. Philippines.

A brief summary of my three main objectives is illustrated below-

 

From this work I hope to answer

  • Which mosquitoes are circulating in my study sites?
  • What hosts they are feeding on?
  • What are the differences between sites?
  • Are areas at higher risk than others?

Supervisors

Additional Information

Education

MSc One Health- Utrecht University

BSc (Hons) Veterinary Biosciences- University of Glasgow

Miscellaneous 

Committee Co-Chair- Early Career Researchers Equality, Diversity & Inclusion group

Committee Co-Chair- SBOHVM Disease Ecology & Veterinary Epidemiology Group

Student Ambassador- Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene


A student smiling into the camera, the background is a jungle.