Running Mad Professor

29/10/2025

While in Hong Kong last week, I had the pleasure of teaching on the Seminar on Pet-related and Emerging Zoonotic Infections at the Hong Kong 衞生署衞生防護中心 Centre for Health Protection, DH

Across the two days, we explored how infections that pass between animals and humans can affect both adults and children - including their neurological impact - and discussed how different countries, including the UK, prepare for and respond to such public health threats.

It was a great opportunity to share experiences and learn from colleagues at the Centre for Health Protection and other experts across the region who are doing vital work on infectious disease preparedness.

My thanks to the CHP team for the kind invitation and warm welcome.

28/10/2025

It was a privilege to spend time in Hong Kong last week as we formally launched a pioneering new partnership between The Pandemic Institute (Academic founding partners - University of Liverpool , Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine - LSTM and Liverpool John Moores University) and three leading institutions in Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong , The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - PolyU and The Chinese University of Hong Kong 香港中文大學 - CUHK

This initiative has been made possible thanks to the generous support of The Shaw Foundation Hong Kong with an award of nearly £250,000 facilitating nine collaborative projects tackling threats such as seasonal and pandemic influenza, MERS coronavirus, Ebola, COVID-19, antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, enteroviruses causing brain infections, and hepatitis E.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to Dr Raymond Chan, Ellen Yeung and all Shaw Foundation colleagues whose dedication over many months has helped bring this to life.

Congratulations are also due to our exceptional teams - it’s their scientific vision and determination that will transform this funding into real impact.

This partnership further reinforces our commitment to international collaboration and preparedness for emerging health threats.

Further details on the visit and all nine funded projects can be found here: thepandemicinstitute.org/news/new-funding-boost-for-the-pandemic-institutes-liverpool-hong-kong-partnership

27/10/2025

I'm pleased to announce that I will be chairing the upcoming International Health Lecture 2025 hosted by the Academy of Medical Sciences in collaboration with The Lancet: “Lessons from Africa: health diplomacy in HIV prevention”.

📅 4 November 2025, 15:00–18:30
📍 Venue: One Birdcage Walk, London
💻 Free to attend either in-person or online.

Our distinguished speaker is Quarraisha Abdool Karim FRS from CAPRISA, who will share vital lessons from Africa on bridging the gap between science, policy and communities.

I hope you’ll join us - whether in London or virtually. Please register and I look forward to seeing many of you there.

👉 Register to attend at https://acmedsci.ac.uk/more/events/IHL-2025

The Academy of Medical Sciences & The Lancet International Health Lecture 2025, 'Lessons from Africa: health diplomacy in HIV prevention', will be delivered by Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim FRS, Associate Scientific Director at the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAP...

24/10/2025

Excited to be joining the Encephalitis Conference 2025 to present on the EAN–ESCMID guidelines for diagnosing and managing infectious encephalitis in adults.

Encephalitis 2025 brings the global brain-inflammation community together, with every angle covered: prevention, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery in both adults and children.

Attendees can expect cutting-edge insights from leading global experts in brain inflammation, tackling the most pressing research questions and clinical challenges through the lens of the latest science.

📅 See you there - in person or online!
👉 Register here https://www.encephalitis.info/encephalitis-conference/

We are delighted to present to you the highlights of Encephalitis Conference 2024. This year programme included four keynote and guest lectures, twointroduc...

22/10/2025

Excellent news out of Malawi: by investing in diagnostic capacity today, we’re equipping scientists and public health systems to detect tomorrow’s threats before they become crises. The partnership between Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme, Public Health Institute of Malawi and the support from The Pandemic Institute shows how sustainable infrastructure really does underpin resilience.

Strong diagnostics are not optional - they are the foundation of outbreak response and pandemic preparedness. I’m proud that TPI could contribute to this catalytic work.

https://www.thepandemicinstitute.org/news/building-outbreak-diagnostic-capacity-in-malawi/

20/10/2025

I’m looking forward to presenting “Brain Infections Global – a sustainable programme to improve the management of brain infections in Africa, Asia and Latin America” at the Meningitis Research Foundation Conference 2025.

As part of the 'Advances in meningitis diagnosis and clinical management' session on day 2, the morning will showcase innovations in clinical care, new trial results, and global strategies to improve outcomes - concluding with an interactive panel discussion.

It’s an honour to contribute to this important conversation on improving the diagnosis and management of brain infections worldwide.

The Meningitis Research Foundation Conference 2025 is back this November.

We’ve just released the full programme and it’s packed:
✔️ 40+ speakers
✔️ 50+ posters
✔️ Global experts, lived experience, cutting-edge research

📍Join us in London, 18–19 November

Explore what’s planned 👉 https://www.meningitis.org/mrf-conference-2025

16/10/2025

💡 Involving patients leads to better research — for today and tomorrow. 💡

When patients and the public are part of encephalitis research, the results are:
✅ More accountable
✅ Higher quality
✅ More relevant to tomorrow’s patients — improving diagnosis, treatment & care

But PPI (Patient & Public Involvement) benefits today’s patients too:
🗣️ Gives patients a voice
🤝 Builds connections with others affected
🌟 Empowers with a positive focus
💬 Reduces isolation through shared experiences
🔬 Creates opportunities to help others through science

also benefits society 🌍
A report by the Association of Medical Research Charities and Wellcome found that charity-funded clinical research contributed £72.7 billion to the UK economy (2014–2024) — unlocking growth, supporting the NHS, and improving lives.

🧠 Donate today to support life-changing :
👉 Visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/research-appeal-2025

15/10/2025

Did you know at The Pandemic Institute we have a Pre-Clinical Studies Unit?

It offers clinically relevant models of infection and disease for testing new vaccine candidates, drugs and therapies.

Find out more here: https://thepandemicinstitute.org/collaborate/pre-clinical-studies-unit/

13/10/2025

Diseases like West Nile illustrate why pandemic and epidemic preparedness is so important. Mosquito transmitted viruses are moving north as the climate warms.

The research underway here in Liverpool aims to ensure the UK has the knowledge, infrastructure and countermeasures in place before local transmission occurs.

Our latest article explains more: https://www.thepandemicinstitute.org/news/west-nile-virus-what-is-it-and-how-are-we-preparing/

10/10/2025

It was a great pleasure to welcome Susan Hopkins and colleagues from UK Health Security Agency to the scientific meeting of The Pandemic Institute, a partnership between University of Liverpool, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine - LSTM, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, Knowledge Quarter Liverpool.

The two days have shown just how much can be achieved when experts from across disciplines come together. The discussions, from the lab bench to community engagement, reflect our shared mission of making sure Liverpool – and the UK – is at the forefront of pandemic preparedness.

Seeing the progress made by TPI investigators in collaboration with some of our major partners like CSL Seqirus, Dstl, and UKHSA was really encouraging.

Colleagues from academia, public health, government, the NHS and industry came together in Liverpool last week for The Pandemic Institute Scientific Meeting 2025, a two-day gathering focused on advancing partnership working for pandemic preparedness. Hosted at the Victoria Gallery & Museum, Liverpoo...

09/10/2025

As a young medical student in Southeast Asia in 1988, I saw first-hand the terrible impact of Japanese encephalitis - children and young adults struck by a disease we could barely diagnose, let alone prevent.

More than three decades on, I was honoured to write the foreword for 'Japanese Encephalitis: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Therapeutics', which captures how far we’ve come in understanding and tackling this infection, and how much work still lies ahead.

Congratulations to Prof. (Dr.) Shailendra K. Saxena for bringing together this important and timely resource.

📖 Read more: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-97-5433-5

07/10/2025

I’m delighted to be chairing at Royal College of Physicians Med+ 2025 this November!

Speakers from across our regional and international networks will deliver essential clinical updates in more than 20 specialties, giving delegates deeper insight into a wide range of illnesses, conditions and diseases.

Across the two days, we’ll explore the latest developments in acute, general and specialty medicine, take part in interactive sessions, workshops and wellbeing activities, and connect with colleagues from across the healthcare community.

Whether you join us in person at Regent’s Park, London or online, you’ll have access to the full conference content until 10 February 2026.

Join me and colleagues for two days of discussion, learning and connection.

👉 https://www.rcp.ac.uk/events-and-education/events/medplus-2025/