Group members
Group leader
Professor Chris Gilligan, BBSRC Professorial Fellow, Professor of Mathematical Biology, Fellow of King's College
Spatial and temporal models for soil-borne plant disease, non-linear estimation, complexity
and simplicity in modelling biological systems.
Research associates
Dr João Filipe, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Modelling the epidemiology and control of large-scale spread of plant diseases under changing policy and environmental conditions.
Dr Franco Neri, Postdoctoral Research Associate
The application of models from statistical physics - in particular, percolation and contact
processes - to the spread of epidemics at different scales in heterogeneous environments.
Dr Ralph DeSimone, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Deterministic and stochastic modeling of ecological systems.
Teaching associates
Dr Nik Cunniffe, University Lecturer, Fellow of Girton College
Mathematical and computational modelling of plant pathogens and biological control.
Postgraduate students
Martial Ndeffo-Mbah, Postgraduate student St Edmund's College
Optimisation of epidemic control.
Matthew Castle, Postgraduate student Pembroke College
The effects of the spatio-temporal dynamics of host landscapes on the invasion, persistence, evolution and control of pathogen strains.
Visiting researchers (INRA)
Dr Doug Bailey, Director of Research (INRA, Rennes) and
Visiting Senior Research Fellow (Cambridge)
Epidemiological modelling and the control of plant disease
Marie Gosme, (Visiting PDRA)
Epidemiological analysis of the fitness components responsible for the selection and
evolution of soil-borne plant pathogens.
Violaine Deytieux, (Visiting Researcher)
Exploitation of spatial invasion thresholds in the spread and control of
infestation and disease caused by the soil-borne plant pathogen Rhizoctonia
solani in propagation systems of field vegetables.
Natacha Motisi, (Visiting PhD Student)
Epidemiological analysis of the spread
and control, by biofumigation, of Rhizoctonia solani in sugar beet.
Visiting researchers (Rothamsted Research)
Dr Frank van den Bosch, Biomathematics Dept, Rothamsted Research,
Harpenden.
Epidemic and evolutionary models.
Dr Stephen Parnell, PDRA Biomathematics Dept, Rothamsted Research,
Models for
citrus diseases.
Dr Femke van den Berg, PDRA Biomathematics Dept, Rothamsted
Research,
Epidemic and evolutionary models for soil and aerial pathogens.
Dr Inez Demon, PDRA Biomathematics Dept, Rothamsted
Research,
Development and testing of epidemiological models for invasion.
Visiting fellows
Dr Josh Ross, Zukerman Research Fellow in Mathematical and Economic Epidemiology (JRF), King's College, University of Cambridge
Collaborators
Professor Gavin Gibson, Dept Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh.
Statistical inference, model fitting and Bayesian methods for spatially-extended models.
Dr Tim Gottwald, USDA Horticultural Research Laboratory, Florida
Spatio-temporal
dynamics of citrus canker.
Dr Sergei Taraskin, Dept Chemistry, University of Cambridge.
Application of percolation and other methods from
statistical physics to epidemiological problems.
Dr Doug Bailey, UMR Santé Végétale, INRA, Rennes - Also
Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Cambridge
Epidemiological modelling and the control
of plant disease.
Professor Bob Rowthorn, Dept
Economics, University of Cambridge
Linking of economic and epidemiological models.
Dr Wilfred Otten, Senior Lecturer, Biophysics of Soil Ecosystems, University of Abertay Formerly senior research associate in soil physics working on testing an epidemiological framework to quantify the spatio-temporal dynamics of saprotrophic activity of soil-borne fungi.
Dr Adam Kleczkowski, Senior Lecturer, Department of Computing Science and Mathematics,
University of Stirling
Modelling the influence of spatial and temporal heterogenities on dynamics of ecological and
epidemiological systems.
Dr Alex Cook, Assistant Professor, Department of
Statistics & Applied Probability, National University of Singapore
The optimal design of experiments relating to epidemics.
Dr Ross Meentemeyer,
Director of the Center for Applied GIScience, Dept Geography and Earth Sciences, University
of North Carolina, Charlotte
Spatial models for sudden oak death, linking epidemiology and GIS.
Dr Dave
Rizzo, Dept Plant Pathology, UC Davis,
Models for control of sudden oak
death.
Dr Ramanan Laxminarayan, Resources
for the Future, Washington
Linking of economic and epidemiological models.
Dr Jane White, Centre for
Mathematical Biology, Univeristy of Bath
Model simplification using asymptotic and
perturbation methods for spatio-temporal epidemic models.
Dr Ivana Gudelj, Dept Mathematical
Sciences, University of Bath
Adaptive dynamics and evolution of plant pathogens in
heterogeneous environments.
Prof Michael Jeger, Dept
Biology, Imperial College, UK
Models for fungal growth and carbon-limited dynamics; models for vector-transmitted
infections.
Dr Stéphane Pietravalle, Central Science
Laboratory, York
Linking models for crop topology in the landscape and
epidemiological invasion.
Prof. Brian
Kerry, Head of the Nematode Interaction Unit, Rothamsted Research
Modelling of
nematode dynamics in the pathozone.
Technical research assistant
Anne Bates, Technical research assistant
Maintenance of laboratory and controlled environment experiments.
Recent members of the group
Former members of the Epidemiology and Modelling Group with their first destinations after leaving
Dr Alex Cook, Assistant Professor, Department of Statistics & Applied Probability, National University of Singapore
Formerly a Postdoctoral Research Associate working on the optimal design of experiments relating to epidemics.
Dr Wilfred Otten, Senior Lecturer, Biophysics of Soil Ecosystems, University of Abertay
Formerly senior research associate in soil physics working on testing an epidemiological
framework to quantify the spatio-temporal dynamics of saprotrophic activity of soil-borne fungi.
Dr Adam Kleczkowski, Senior Lecturer, Department of Computing Science and Mathematics, University of Stirling
Formerly senior research associate modelling the influence of spatial and temporal heterogenities on dynamics of ecological and
epidemiological systems.
Dr Stephen Parnell PDRA USDA Horticulture Laboratory, Fort Pierce, Florida
Formerly graduate student working on Modelling invasion of fungicide resistant strains in disease complexes
Dr David Claessen Veni Vidi Vici Fellowship, Netherlands. Formerly
Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Modelling
Transgene-induced life history changes and the ecology of transgenic crops
(Based in Rothamsted Research in joint project with Dr F. van den Bosch)
Dr Graeme Forster Research Associate, Orbis Investment, London
Formerly graduate student working on Dynamics and control of disease in populations: linking
epidemiology and economic modelling
Isabelle Moltini
Formerly technical research assistant (DEFRA)
Dr Chad Pillinger Research Services Division, University of Cambridge
Formerly postdoctoral research associate in plant pathology working on an integrated
epidemiological approach to evaluate control strategies and disease risk of Rhizoctonia in
field vegetables
Dr Lara Jamieson MRC Statistics, University of Cambridge
Formerly research associate working on Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis of spatio-temporal
disease maps
Dr Jonathan Ludlam PDRA Dept Chemistry, University of Cambridge
Formerly postdoctoral research associate testing an epidemiological framework to quantify
the spatio-temporal dynamics of saprotrophic activity of soil-borne fungi
Dr Dawn Muddyman Plant Pathologist, UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (NIAB)
Formerly graduate student working on Chemical and biological control of the invasion of
soil-borne fungal disease.(2001 - 2005)
Dr James Truscott Postdoctoral Research Associate (Imperial College)
Formerly postdoctoral research associate working on application of perturbation theory to
temporal and spatio-temporal models for disease dynamics and spread of Rhizomania disease.
(1998-2003)
Dr Adrian Stacey Computing consultant on robotics (Royston)
Formerly graduate
student and postdoctoral research associate working on development of computer models for
epidemiological analyses; modelling of fungalgrowth. (1997-2003)
Dr Paula Kantola Postdoctoral Research Assistant (University of Helsinki)
Formerly graduate student working on microcosms experiments of epidemics of Rhizoctonia
solani
Dr Déirdre Hollingsworth Postdoctoral Research Assistant (Imperial College)
Formerly graduate student working on invasion and persistence of disease and other
micro-organisms in crop environments.
Dr Richard Hall Postdoctoral Research Assistant (Environmental Science and Policy, UC Davis)
Formerly graduate student working on modelling invasion of fungicide resistant strains in
heterogeneous crop environments
Dr Andrew ParkPDRA, Parasite Ecology Group, Dept Zoology, University of Cambridge Formerly postgraduate student funded by NERC working on temporal and spatial models for metapopulation dynamics involving fungal infection of plants.
Dr Simon Gubbins Mathematical Modeller, Veterinary Laboratory Agency
Formerly Junior Research Fellow, Churchill College working on epidemiology and modelling of
plant disease with particular reference to biological control and pesticide resistance
Dr Jane White Lecturer in Mathematical Biology, University of Bath
Formerly, Wellcome Research Fellow, Department of Zoology, Cambridge, working on Development
of reaction-diffusion-advection models for temporal and spatialdynamics of three species
interactions involved in biocontrol of plant pathogens. (1997-1998)
Dr Chris Thornton Research Fellow in Plant Pathology at University of
Exeter.
Formerly, BBSRC Postdoctoral Research Assistant on Use of monoclonal antibodies to detect
and quantify populations of Rhizoctonia solani and Trichoderma viride. (Joint project with
Dr F.M. Dewey, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford)
Dr Cerian Webb Mathematical Modeller, Veterinary Laboratory Agency
Formerly postgraduate student working on 1) Mathematical models of crop growth.(Jointly
supervised with Dr A.R. Werker, Brooms Barn). 2) Modelling localdynamics of Polymyxa betae
the vector of rhizomania disease. (Jointly supervised with Dr M.J.C. Asher, Broom's Barn)
followed by period as Mathematical Modeller, Veterinary Laboratory Agency.
Barrie Goddard Computer Officer, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of
Cambridge.
Responsible for computer maintenance, graphics and data preparation as well as mycological
experimentation Assists with spatial and temporal modelling project.
Dr David Jaccoud Lecturer in Plant Pathology, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa,
Brazil
Formerly, affiliated postgraduate student working at N.I.A.B. on RAPD methods for detection
of seed-borne pathogens of soyabean
Dr Kai Schmidt Affiliated Researcher University of Bonn
Formerly PDRA funded by MAFF on models for crop growth in relation to soil water and
nitrogen response. (Joint project with Dr R. Sylvester-Bradley ADAS, Soil Science
Group.)
Dr Mette Creaser PDRA Dept Department of Applied and Molecular Ecology, University of Adelaide Formerly postgraduate student working on use of molecular and other methods to quantify the behaviour of pathogens and microbial antagonists in the rhizosphere and bulk soil.
Dr Keith Briggs Senior Research Associate BT Research Laboratories, Martlesham
Heath
Formerly PDRA funded by BBSRC on estimation of parameters of ecological models (Joint
project with G.J.S. Ross, Statistics Department, IACR, Rothamsted Experimental Station)
Dr Jonathan Swinton NERC Advanced Research Fellow, Department of Zoology,
University of Cambridge
Formerly PDRA on Dutch elm disease and seal distemper virus. Epidemics in spatially
structured populations
Dr Deborah Long Mathematical Analyst in Merchant Bank
Formerly postgraduate student working on analysis and prediction of nonlinear dynamics in
biological control of plant pathogens.
Kirsty Harris Research scientist in soil science, Scottish Crop Research
Institute
Former technical research assistant working on thin section analysis Thin section analysis
of fungal growth in soil, working at Scottish Crops Research Institute in connection with
the joint project with Dr Wilfred Otten, at Cambridge and Dr Iain Young and Dr Karl Ritz at
SCRI. Based at SCRI.
Dr Gemma Biran Patent Lawyer
Formerly postgraduate student working on biological control of soil-borne nematodes. Joint
project with Professor B.R. Kerry, IACR Rothamsted.