Chris graduated in Biology (BSc) from Durham University and in Biology & Control of Disease Vectors (MSc) from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Chris received his PhD in Molecular Entomology in 2010 from the University of Nottingham before taking up a post-doctoral role in Prof. Hilary Ranson’s group at LSTM. After four years at Rothamsted Research (2013-2017)
Chris re-joined the Vector Biology department at LSTM in 2017 as Senior Lecturer to lead the Vector Biology group of the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme (MLW) in Blantyre, Malawi.
Research
Chris’ research primarily focusses on the biology and ecology of mosquito vectors in Malawi and how this relates to transmission. The overriding goal is to optimise and inform integrated vector control programmes that have a significant impact on malaria and other vector borne diseases in Malawi. The research integrates mosquito dispersal studies, advances in spatial mapping of breeding sites, insecticide resistance and the impact of new vector control interventions.
Current Projects
Wellcome Trust Seed Award. Quantifying the influence of wind on mosquito flight and consequences for malaria transmission in southern Malawi. Principal Investigator. With Luigi Sedda at Lancaster University. 2019 – 2020.
Wellcome Trust Seed Award. Assessing the operational usage of drone imagery for malaria mosquito breeding site mapping in Malawi (Maladrone). Collaborator. Principle Investigator Dr Michelle Stanton at Lancaster University. 2019 – 2021.
Wellcome Trust Master’s Training Fellowship in Public Health & Tropical Medicine to Rhosheen Mthawanji. Assessing the effects of piperonyl butoxide (PBO) exposure on malaria vector fitness. Fellow: Miss Rhosheen Mthawanji. Primary supervisor with Prof. Hilary Ranson & Dr Themba Mzilahowa (Malaria Alert Centre, Malawi). 2017 – 2020.
Wellcome Trust Master’s Training Fellowship in Public Health & Tropical Medicine to Lizzie Tchongwe-Divala. Identifying the mechanisms of insecticide resistance in Anopheles gambiae s.s. and Anopheles arabiensis in Chikwawa, Malawi. Co-supervisor with Prof. Martin Donnelly, Dr Eric Lucas & Dr Themba Mzilahowa (Malaria Alert Centre, Malawi). 2017 – 2020.
PhD students
Current
Remy Hoek Spaans (MRC-DTP, with Dr Michelle Stanton (Lancaster University) and Prof. Hilary Ranson).
Amy Withers (NERC Envision, with Prof. Kenneth Wilson at Lancaster University).
Past
Toé Hyacinthe (AvecNet, with Prof. Hilary Ranson)
Teaching
Chris participates in the teaching of the Masters programme in Biology and Control of Parasites and Disease Vectors at LSTM.
Chris is a member of the Vector Control Sub-Technical Working Group of the Malawi National Malaria Control Programme