Heather M. Ferguson

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Heather M. Ferguson

FRSE
Alma mater University of Toronto (BSc), University of British Columbia (MSc), University of Edinburgh (PhD)
Occupation(s)Professor - Medical entomology and disease ecology
Employer University of Glasgow
Organization(s) Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania - visiting scientist
Known forResearch in malaria vectors
Board member ofCo-chair WHO Vector Control Advisory Group

Heather Margaret Ferguson FRSE, Professor of Medical Entomology and Disease Ecology, at Glasgow University; a specialist in researching mosquito vectors that spread malaria, in global regions where this is endemic, aiming to manage and control a disease which the World Health Organization estimates killed over 400,000 people in 2020. [1] Ferguson co-chairs the WHO Vector Control Advisory Group and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2021. [2]

Contents

Education and career

Ferguson graduated BSc (Hons) in Zoology from the University of Toronto in 1995, and MSc from British Columbia University 1998, before completing her doctorate on malaria-parasite vector interactions [3] during 1999 to 2013 in Cell, Animal and Population Biology at the University of Edinburgh. From 2004-2006 she did post-doctoral research seconded from the Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Netherlands to Tanzania at the Ifakara Health Institute, Morogoro, where she still continues her work (2021) as a visiting scientist. [2]

From 2006-12, Ferguson was funded by BBSRC David Phillips Fellowship in the Glasgow University department of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, as a lecturer, and from 2013, as senior lecturer, and reader. [4]

Research

Ferguson's research output is collated by the University of Glasgow. [3]

And from her early work on genetic and environmental factors on virulence of the parasite in mosquitoes (2002) [5] to disease modelling studies (2020), [6] she has collaborated with researchers in international teams on practical and theoretical research. In 2021, Ferguson and colleagues' studies are progressing in Africa [7] and SouthEast Asia, [8] and mindful of the socio-economic impact of malaria on the countries where it is prevalent. [9] She has published a WHO technical report on methods of control. [10] And has been developing what is now a patented trap (patent shared between Glasgow and Ifakara institutes). [11]

Her current work is funded by Wellcome Trust, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.K. Medical Research Council. [3]

Ferguson has served for over ten years on the editorial board of the academic journal Parasites and Vectors. [12] As well as assessing research for a number of international grant-awarding bodies including WHO, she co-chairs the WHO Vector Control Advisory Group. [13]

Selected publications

Awards

Ferguson was a member of the Young Academy of Scotland (2013), and in 2016 won the Zoological Society of London Scientific Medal (2016) and was recognised by an award for International Knowledge Exchange by the University of Glasgow. [3] In 2021, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DDT</span> Organochloride known for its insecticidal properties

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. DDT was first synthesized in 1874 by the Austrian chemist Othmar Zeidler. DDT's insecticidal action was discovered by the Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Müller in 1939. DDT was used in the second half of World War II to limit the spread of the insect-borne diseases malaria and typhus among civilians and troops. Müller was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1948 "for his discovery of the high efficiency of DDT as a contact poison against several arthropods". The WHO's anti-malaria campaign of the 1950s and 1960s relied heavily on DDT and the results were promising, though there was a resurgence in developing countries afterwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaria</span> Medical condition

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other vertebrates. Human malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. Symptoms usually begin 10 to 15 days after being bitten by an infected Anopheles mosquito. If not properly treated, people may have recurrences of the disease months later. In those who have recently survived an infection, reinfection usually causes milder symptoms. This partial resistance disappears over months to years if the person has no continuing exposure to malaria.

<i>Anopheles</i> Genus of mosquito

Anopheles or Marsh Mosquitoes is a genus of mosquito first described and named by J. W. Meigen in 1818. About 460 species are recognized; while over 100 can transmit human malaria, only 30–40 commonly transmit parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which cause malaria in humans in endemic areas. Anopheles gambiae is one of the best known, because of its predominant role in the transmission of the most dangerous malaria parasite species – Plasmodium falciparum.

Tropical diseases are diseases that are prevalent in or unique to tropical and subtropical regions. The diseases are less prevalent in temperate climates, due in part to the occurrence of a cold season, which controls the insect population by forcing hibernation. However, many were present in northern Europe and northern America in the 17th and 18th centuries before modern understanding of disease causation. The initial impetus for tropical medicine was to protect the health of colonial settlers, notably in India under the British Raj. Insects such as mosquitoes and flies are by far the most common disease carrier, or vector. These insects may carry a parasite, bacterium or virus that is infectious to humans and animals. Most often disease is transmitted by an insect bite, which causes transmission of the infectious agent through subcutaneous blood exchange. Vaccines are not available for most of the diseases listed here, and many do not have cures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vector control</span> Methods to limit or eradicate the mammals, birds, insects etc. which transmit disease pathogens

Vector control is any method to limit or eradicate the mammals, birds, insects or other arthropods which transmit disease pathogens. The most frequent type of vector control is mosquito control using a variety of strategies. Several of the "neglected tropical diseases" are spread by such vectors.

<i>Plasmodium vivax</i> Species of single-celled organism

Plasmodium vivax is a protozoal parasite and a human pathogen. This parasite is the most frequent and widely distributed cause of recurring malaria. Although it is less virulent than Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest of the five human malaria parasites, P. vivax malaria infections can lead to severe disease and death, often due to splenomegaly. P. vivax is carried by the female Anopheles mosquito; the males do not bite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosquito net</span> Fine net used to exclude mosquitos and other biting insects

A mosquito net is a type of meshed curtain that is circumferentially draped over a bed or a sleeping area, to offer the sleeper barrier protection against bites and stings from mosquitos, flies, and other pest insects, and thus against the diseases they may carry. Examples of such preventable insect-borne diseases include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, zika virus, Chagas disease and various forms of encephalitis, including the West Nile virus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosquito control</span> Efforts to reduce damage from mosquitoes

Mosquito control manages the population of mosquitoes to reduce their damage to human health, economies, and enjoyment. Mosquito control is a vital public-health practice throughout the world and especially in the tropics because mosquitoes spread many diseases, such as malaria and the Zika virus.

<i>Anopheles gambiae</i> Species of mosquito

The Anopheles gambiae complex consists of at least seven morphologically indistinguishable species of mosquitoes in the genus Anopheles. The complex was recognised in the 1960s and includes the most important vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly of the most dangerous malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. It is one of the most efficient malaria vectors known. The An. gambiae mosquito additionally transmits Wuchereria bancrofti which causes lymphatic filariasis, a symptom of which is elephantiasis.

Paratransgenesis is a technique that attempts to eliminate a pathogen from vector populations through transgenesis of a symbiont of the vector. The goal of this technique is to control vector-borne diseases. The first step is to identify proteins that prevent the vector species from transmitting the pathogen. The genes coding for these proteins are then introduced into the symbiont, so that they can be expressed in the vector. The final step in the strategy is to introduce these transgenic symbionts into vector populations in the wild. One use of this technique is to prevent mortality for humans from insect-borne diseases. Preventive methods and current controls against vector-borne diseases depend on insecticides, even though some mosquito breeds may be resistant to them. There are other ways to fully eliminate them. “Paratransgenesis focuses on utilizing genetically modified insect symbionts to express molecules within the vector that are deleterious to pathogens they transmit.” The acidic bacteria Asaia symbionts are beneficial in the normal development of mosquito larvae; however, it is unknown what Asais symbionts do to adult mosquitoes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaria Atlas Project</span> Academic group

The Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) is a nonprofit academic group led by Peter Gething, Kerry M Stokes Chair in Child Health, at the Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia. The group is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with previous funding also coming from the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust. MAP aims to disseminate free, accurate, and up-to-date information on malaria and associated topics, organised on a geographical basis. The work of MAP falls into three areas:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disease vector</span> Agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism

In epidemiology, a disease vector is any living agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen to another living organism; agents regarded as vectors are organisms, such as parasites or microbes. The first major discovery of a disease vector came from Ronald Ross in 1897, who discovered the malaria pathogen when he dissected a mosquito.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of malaria</span> History of malaria infections

The history of malaria extends from its prehistoric origin as a zoonotic disease in the primates of Africa through to the 21st century. A widespread and potentially lethal human infectious disease, at its peak malaria infested every continent except Antarctica. Its prevention and treatment have been targeted in science and medicine for hundreds of years. Since the discovery of the Plasmodium parasites which cause it, research attention has focused on their biology as well as that of the mosquitoes which transmit the parasites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosquito-borne disease</span> Diseases caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites transmitted by mosquitoes

Mosquito-borne diseases or mosquito-borne illnesses are diseases caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites transmitted by mosquitoes. Nearly 700 million people get a mosquito-borne illness each year resulting in over 725,000 deaths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet Hemingway</span> British infectious diseases specialist

Janet Hemingway is a British infectious diseases specialist. She is the former Director of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and founding Director of Infection Innovation Consortium and Professor of Tropical Medicine at LSTM. She is current President of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fredros Okumu</span> Kenyan parasitologist and entomologist

Fredros Okumu is a Kenyan parasitologist and entomologist, who currently works as director of science at the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) in Tanzania. His primary research interests concern the interactions between humans and mosquitoes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flaminia Catteruccia</span> Italian professor of immunology and infectious disease

Flaminia Catteruccia is an Italian professor of immunology and infectious disease at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, studying the interactions between malaria and the Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit the parasites.

Silvie Huijben is an evolutionary biologist and Assistant Professor at Arizona State University. The Huijben Lab uses fieldwork, lab experiments, and mathematical modeling to study antimalarial and insecticide resistance in parasites, such as disease-transmitting mosquitoes. Her work is focused on applying evolutionary theory to produce resistance management strategies to best combat malaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change and infectious diseases</span> Overview of the relationship between climate change and infectious diseases

Global climate change has resulted in a wide range of impacts on the spread of infectious diseases. Like other ways in which climate change affects on human health, climate change exacerbates existing inequalities and challenges in managing infectious disease. Infectious diseases whose transmission can be impacted by climate change include dengue fever, malaria, tick-borne diseases, leishmaniasis and Ebola virus disease. For example, climate change is altering the geographic range and seasonality of the mosquito that can carry dengue.

Ernestine Hogan Basham Thurman (1920–1987) was an American entomologist and researcher, focusing on mosquitoes and vector control. In 1951 she was the first woman sent by the United States to Thailand to establish a malaria control program.

References

  1. ↑ "World Malaria Report 2020". www.who.int. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Professor Heather Ferguson FRSE". The Royal Society of Edinburgh. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine - Professor Heather Ferguson". The University of Glasgow. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Ferguson, Heather (2015). "ORCID". orcid.org. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  5. ↑ Ferguson, H. M.; Read, A. F. (22 June 2002). "Genetic and environmental determinants of malaria parasite virulence in mosquitoes". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences. 269 (1497): 1217–1224. doi:10.1098/rspb.2002.2023. PMC   1691016 . PMID   12065037.
  6. ↑ Nelli, Luca; Ferguson, Heather M; Matthiopoulos, Jason (May 2020). "Achieving explanatory depth and spatial breadth in infectious disease modelling: Integrating active and passive case surveillance". Statistical Methods in Medical Research. 29 (5): 1273–1287. doi:10.1177/0962280219856380. ISSN   0962-2802. PMID   31213191. S2CID   195065969.
  7. ↑ Sanou, Antoine; Nelli, Luca; Guelbéogo, W. Moussa; Cissé, Fatoumata; Tapsoba, Madou; Ouédraogo, Pierre; Sagnon, N’falé; Ranson, Hilary; Matthiopoulos, Jason; Ferguson, Heather M. (2 September 2021). "Insecticide resistance and behavioural adaptation as a response to long-lasting insecticidal net deployment in malaria vectors in the Cascades region of Burkina Faso". Scientific Reports. 11 (1): 17569. Bibcode:2021NatSR..1117569S. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-96759-w. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   8413378 . PMID   34475470.
  8. ↑ Cuenca, Pablo Ruiz; Key, Stephanie; Jumail, Amaziasizamoria; Surendra, Henry; Ferguson, Heather M.; Drakeley, Chris; Fornace, Kimberly (15 September 2021). "Epidemiology of the zoonotic malaria Plasmodium knowlesi in changing landscapes". Advances in Parasitology. 113: 225–286. doi:10.1016/bs.apar.2021.08.006. ISBN   9780323907279. ISSN   0065-308X. PMID   34620384. S2CID   238477197.
  9. ↑ Ferguson, Heather; Brock, Patrick; Torr, Steve (2018), "Host-species diversity and the transmission of vector-borne disease in low-income countries", Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases, Oxford: Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/oso/9780198789833.003.0012, ISBN   978-0-19-878983-3 , retrieved 12 October 2021
  10. ↑ World Health Organization (2018). "Efficacy-testing of Traps for Control of Aedes Spp. Mosquito Vectors". eprints.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  11. ↑ WO 2016066847,Ferguson, Heather; Govella, Nicodem& Maliti, Deodatuset al.,"Insect trap",published 2016-05-06, assigned to University of Glasgow and Ifakara Health Institute
  12. ↑ "Parasites & Vectors - Editorial Board". Parasites & Vectors. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  13. ↑ "Professor Heather Ferguson". www.who.int. 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
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