Associate Professor Aurelia Vessiere

Speciality / Research theme / Keywords

Emerging infectious diseases, epidemiology, clinical research, diagnostics, outbreak preparedness, resource-limited settings

Supervision

Masters ProgrammeDoctoral Programme

Qualifications

PhD Communicable Diseases and Tropical Pathologies (France), PgDip Epidemiology (UK), MSc Biological Anthropology (France), MSc Communicable Diseases and Tropical Pathologies (France)

Contact

aurelia.vessiere@nagasaki-u.ac.jp; aurelia.vessiere@lshtm.ac.uk

Affiliation(s)

• Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and International Health, London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, UK
• School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Japan

Background

Trained in tropical infectious diseases and virology, I has extensive experience in clinical research and epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases, as well as major endemic diseases like HIV, malaria and TB. I held positions at various public and private institutions, including FIND (Switzerland); University of Bordeaux (France); University of Oxford (UK); University of Tulane (USA); French National Agency for AIDS Research; and Pasteur Institute in Cameroon. I also worked as an independent consultant in virology, and as an expert to the European Commission and the WHO.

Teaching

• Epidemiology
• Clinical Trials

Research

My research interest has been on tropical and outbreak-prone diseases. I mainly focused on the surveillance and characterization of emerging variants, as well as improving diagnosis and patient management, with a « research-to-policy » vision.
I have been very involved in capacity strengthening of resource-limited health settings, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, while being strongly attached to building equitable research partnerships. Every projects I have been involved in were designed for a direct benefit to patients and populations, with the ultimate goal of supporting strong and resilient health systems, especially at the primary health care level.

The country/countries where you work currently

• Japan
• The Philippines
• West Africa

Five MOST IMPORTANT/INTERESTING recent publications

1. Chi H, Etafo J, Fonkeng F, Gbenga-Ayeni O, Ronke I, Abejegah C, Owhin S, Bausch DG, Vessière A, Agogo E, Emperador DM, Adedosu NA. Evaluation of the Diagnostic Accuracy of the ReLASVTM Pan-Lassa Antigen Rapid Test for Lassa Fever in Nigeria. PLOS Global Public Health 2024 [submitted].

2. Hoppe A, Vessiere A, and Bausch DG. Leveraging Covid-19 Diagnostics to Confront both Epidemic and Endemic Diseases. In: Evaluating Covid-19. Editor Charles Pasternak. World Scientific Publishing, October 2023. https://doi.org/10.1142/13039

3. Escadafal C, Baldan R, De Vos M, Ruiz RJ, Emperador DM, Murahwa A, Mace A, Bausch DG, Vessière A, Sacks JA. Evaluating Diagnostic Tests During Outbreaks: Challenges and Lessons Learned from COVID-19. BMJ Glob Health. 2023 Jul;8(7):e012506.

4. Marcy O, Wobudeya E, Font H, Vessière A, et al.; TB-Speed Pneumonia Study Group. Effect of systematic tuberculosis detection on mortality in young children with severe pneumonia in countries with high incidence of tuberculosis: a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial. Lancet Infect Dis. 2023 Mar;23(3):341-51.

5. Vessière A, Font H, Gabillard D, et al. Impact of systematic early tuberculosis detection using Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in children with severe pneumonia in high tuberculosis burden countries: Study protocol for a stepped wedge cluster-randomized trial (TB-Speed Pneumonia). BMC Pediatr 2021 Mar 20;21(1):136.