Gemma Chaters
Project Title: Modelling the conditions for emergent infections in livestock and humans in Tanzania
About the Project: Tanzania, like most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, is experiencing big changes. Urbanisation is increasing demand for milk and meat products and bringing pastoral communities closer to urban centres. Meanwhile, land-use pressures have resulted in the encroachment of pastoral livestock into wildlife areas.
Other changes include the effects of market pricing and the intensification of livestock production systems. These are being driven by national policy, through the national livestock policy and international trade (especially with Kenya). The aim of this 3.5 year PhD project is to contribute to a large programme of research aimed at understanding these changes (see http://livestocklivelihoodsandhealth.org/) through the mathematical and statistical modelling of data on the epidemiological and human factors driving the transmission of livestock and zoonotic diseases.
Supervisors: Rowland Kao (Glasgow), Louise Matthews (Glasgow)