LIVERPOOL'S INSTITUTE OF INFECTION AND GLOBAL HEALTH - Strategic plan 2016-2021 - The University of Liverpool

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LIVERPOOL'S INSTITUTE OF INFECTION AND GLOBAL HEALTH - Strategic plan 2016-2021 - The University of Liverpool
LIVERPOOL’S
INSTITUTE OF INFECTION
   AND GLOBAL HEALTH
         Strategic plan
            2016–2021
LIVERPOOL'S INSTITUTE OF INFECTION AND GLOBAL HEALTH - Strategic plan 2016-2021 - The University of Liverpool
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    Contents                                   Welcome
     2 Welcome                                 Welcome to the Strategic Plan 2016 – 2021 of the University of
                                               Liverpool’s Institute of Infection and Global Health. In this document
     3 Mission of the Institute                                                                                                                                  Professor Tom Solomon
                                               we describe our current and future ambition, and how we intend to                                                 Institute Director
     4 Our organisation                        achieve it.
     5 Strategic review
                                               In developing this Strategic Plan, we have examined our strengths, and
     6 Challenge 1: Environmental change       identified the global challenges that our work seeks to address. These
     7 Challenge 2: Food security              challenges – relating to the growing needs to predict, diagnose, treat and
                                               prevent infectious diseases in animals and humans – are both real and big:                                        Professor Rodney Phillips
     8 Challenge 3: Antimicrobial resistance
                                               they threaten the livelihood and welfare of people globally, as they affect                                       Chair, External Advisory Panel

     9 Challenge 4: Diagnostic tests           the security and safety of our food supply or contribute to the spread of
                                               preventable or curable illnesses. The aim of our Institute is to make a material
    10 Challenge 5: Vaccines
                                               contribution to enhancing lives by tackling these infectious diseases.
    11 Developing new researchers                                                                                                 Photograph by Miles Standish
                                                                                                                                  © 2015
    12 Working in partnership                  Our goals are ambitious, yet we believe they are achievable. Doing so will
                                               require the best scientific talent available. We will need to grow our team,
    13 Measuring progress                      nurture the next generation of researchers, and collaborate with others.
                                               We will also need to hold ourselves accountable to the objectives we are
                                               setting. We are looking forward to receiving your feedback on the plans
                                               outlined in this document.

                                               Thank you for your support of our work.
LIVERPOOL'S INSTITUTE OF INFECTION AND GLOBAL HEALTH - Strategic plan 2016-2021 - The University of Liverpool
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    Mission of the Institute of Infection and                                                                                                                          Our Organisation                                                                                                            WE HOST TWO EXTERNALLY FUNDED
    Global Health (IGH) at the University of Liverpool                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             NATIONAL CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
    Infectious diseases impose a huge burden on          leader in infection and global health, as reaffirmed   are linked, and we tackle infections at the human-     Our research is organised into three departments:               Tracking emerging and zoonotic infections:                  Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging
    human and animal health. The World Health            in the UK Government’s Research Excellence             animal interface, putting us at the forefront of the   the Department of Infection Biology considers                   We are studying insect-borne diseases and those             and Zoonotic Infections
    Organization reports that three of the ten leading   Framework (REF 2014).                                  One Health agenda.                                     infection at the molecular and cellular level, the              that spread from animals to humans, as well as the
    causes of death of people in 2012 were infectious                                                                                                                  Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and              effect of climate change, environmental and societal        The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
    diseases, responsible for more than 6 million        Mission                                                We integrate fundamental biology, veterinary,          Immunology examines infection in individuals, and               impacts on disease burden.                                  Health Protection Research Unit in
    deaths worldwide.                                                                                           medical, population and social sciences research       the Department of Epidemiology and Population                                                                               Gastrointestinal Infections
                                                         Our mission is to be an international centre of        in an inter-disciplinary manner. We work with          Health studies infection at the population level. Our           Improving the health of pets, working animals
    Infectious diseases occur globally, but their        excellence dedicated to improving the health of        regional, national and international partners          five major research themes bring together scientists            and their owners:                                           In addition, we are partners in the Health e-Research
    impact is greatest in the developing world           humans and animals by tackling key infectious          to advance the control of infectious                   from across the departments.                                    We are carrying out research and surveillance of            Centre (HeRC), which is part of the Farr Institute of
    where five of the ten leading causes of death        diseases in the UK and globally. The Institute,        diseases and improve health,                                                                                           diseases in cats, dogs and horses, and studying how         Health Informatics Research.
    are infections. The global burden of infectious      established in 2010, brings together leading           by influencing national and                            Understanding how pathogens cause disease:                      animal ownership can impact on human health.
    diseases of animals, including livestock, has        medical, veterinary, and basic science infectious      international policy.                                  We are studying the interactions between pathogens and
    not been quantified, but is undoubtedly high.        disease researchers from across the University.                                                               their hosts by investigating the key molecular, cellular and
    Such diseases are important because they affect      We conduct cutting edge research on the                                                                       immunological processes in health and disease.
    animal welfare; they have negative impacts on        transmission, diagnosis, treatment and prevention
    local, regional and national incomes; and they       of infectious diseases, and are training the next                                                             Pioneering diagnostics, treatments and vaccines:
    are a source of human disease. The University        generation of researchers. We recognise that the                                                              We are working on better diagnostic strategies,                                                 INSTITUTE OF INFECTION AND GLOBAL HEALTH
    of Liverpool is recognised as an international       health of humans, animals and the environment                                                                 therapeutics and vaccines, for gastrointestinal, respiratory,
                                                                                                                                                                       neurological and blood infections of humans, as well as                              Department of          Department of Clinical Infection,    Department of Epidemiology
                                                                                                                                                                       addressing animal health. This includes tackling drug                              Infection Biology         Microbiology and Immunology           and Population Health
                                                                                                                                                                       resistance in viruses, bacteria and parasites which is
                                                                                                                                                                       common to both humans and animals.                                                                      Understanding how pathogens cause disease

                                                                                                                                                                       Enhancing food safety and security:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Research Themes
    Our mission is to improve the health of humans and animals                                                                                                         We are protecting people from food-borne infections
                                                                                                                                                                       such as Campylobacter and Salmonella as well as
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Pioneering diagnostics, treatments and vaccines

    by tackling key infectious diseases locally and globally                                                                                                           ensuring improved control of endemic infectious
                                                                                                                                                                       diseases of food-producing animals to promote their
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Enhancing food safety and security

                                                                                                                                                                       health and welfare.                                                                                       Tracking emerging and zoonotic infections

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Improving the health of pets, working animals and their owners
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             1
    Strategic Review                                                                                                                                                          Challenge one Environmental change
    In 2015 the strengths of IGH were reviewed in the context of a number of globally important research challenges. This led to the selection of five major
    challenges: these will become an increasing focus of IGH’s research over the next five years. A summary is below; and details of each challenge and IGH’s
                                                                                                                                                                              Rapid climatic, environmental and societal changes are leading to the emergence of new diseases
    strategy for addressing them are provided on the following pages.                                                                                                         and the spread of existing ones.

                                                                                                                                                                              The challenge                                                     The devastating Ebola virus disease epidemic in West               of exposure to Lyme disease, an emerging disease in the UK.
             MAJOR CHALLENGES                                      IGH STRATEGY                                           IMPACT – WITHIN 5 YEARS WE WILL HAVE                Changes in the climate, environment, and society help to drive    Africa in 2014/15 underscored the impact of emerging and           Our public health work will extend to understanding the burden
                                                                                                                                                                              the emergence and spread of infectious disease. About half        re-emerging infections.                                            of illness, investigating health inequalities and assessing the
                                                                                                                                                                              of all infectious diseases of humans and animals are sensitive                                                                       impact of modern diagnostics on public health surveillance
             ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: Rapid climatic,                 IGH will provide evidence to help predict and          Determined the impact of future climate change
                                                                                                                                                                              to climate, and many of them are expected to be affected          Our contribution                                                   systems. We work closely with relevant policy-makers, for
      1      environmental and societal changes are leading
             to the emergence of new diseases and the
                                                                   mitigate the impacts of climate, environmental,
                                                                   and societal change on human and animal health
                                                                                                                          on one major endemic disease of livestock
                                                                                                                                                                              by climate change. This is particularly the case for diseases
                                                                                                                                                                              spread by insect vectors, which caused the deaths of nearly
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                IGH will develop methods to understand and predict the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                effects of climate, environmental and societal change on
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   example with Public Health England, through the NIHR Health
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Protection Research Units in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections,
             spread of existing ones
                                                                                                                                                                              750,000 people in 2012, as well as a huge burden of mortality     the emergence and spread of infectious diseases of both            and Gastrointestinal Infections, and with the World Health
                                                                                                                                                                              and production loss in food-producing animals. Climate change     humans and animals, so that measures to mitigate or adapt          Organization and national governments.
             FOOD SECURITY: 1 in 10 people globally lack           IGH will be an international leader in food security   Developed at least one novel prototype              will also impact on the burden of water-borne and food-           to consequences of global change can be developed. For

      2      sufficient food for a healthy, active life. Feeding   research, especially through improved control of       vaccine against an endemic infectious disease       borne diseases. Other global changes, such as urbanisation,       example, IGH is developing models for the transmission             Strategy
             current and future populations requires a secure      infectious disease in food producing animals, and      of animals, in partnership with industry            changing land use and increased travel and trade will drive the   and spread of an animal disease, bluetongue, under future          IGH will provide evidence to help predict and mitigate the
             and safe supply of food                               improved food safety                                                                                       emergence of new diseases and the spread of existing ones.        conditions of climate and environment. We will investigate how     impacts of climate, environmental, and societal change
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                the structure of human societies and the contacts between          on human and animal health. We will develop systems for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                people affect the spread of respiratory diseases like influenza,   examining transmission of emerging pathogens through
             ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE: Microbes                    IGH will investigate the clinical and environmental    Developed at least one novel alternative to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 and the role of urbanisation in the emergence of pathogens        insect and tick vectors. This will include Hazard Group Three
             are gaining resistance to the treatments used to      factors that drive the evolution and development       treat antimicrobial resistant infections and take
      3      control them, making antimicrobial resistance
             (AMR) one of the greatest current threats to
                                                                   of AMR, and develop novel antimicrobial
                                                                   treatment strategies
                                                                                                                          this towards clinical trials
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    in developing countries. We will identify which types of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       native UK mosquito are able to spread viral infections
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   pathogens, and in collaboration with Public Health England,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Hazard Group 4 pathogens. We will strengthen our work in UK
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         to people and animals, should the pathogens emerge        and international public health with the appointment of further
             human and animal health
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           here in the future. We will study how tick species      personnel in virology, and health protection.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            are affected by temperature and rainfall so that we
             DIAGNOSTIC TESTS: Many people and animals             IGH will undertake research to develop new             Developed at least one new diagnostic through                                                                                      can develop systems for forecasting people’s risk

      4      remain untreated for infectious diseases because      diagnostic tests for diseases of humans and animals,   to commercialisation with an industrial partner
             of a lack of accurate, affordable and available       as well as improving existing diagnostic tests                                                                                                                                                                                                    Case Study
             diagnostic tests                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        During the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa we contributed
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     staff to controlling the disease in Africa, and analysed the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     risk of further disease spread, and effect of control efforts,
             VACCINES: Vaccines are the single most effective      IGH will undertake research to improve the             Informed a change in global immunisation                                                                                                                                                   advising both the UK and USA Governments (Read et al.

      5      method to reduce the burden of infectious
             diseases in humans and animals, but many major
                                                                   effectiveness of current vaccines and drive the
                                                                   development of new vaccines for major diseases
                                                                                                                          policy to include the incorporation of one new
                                                                                                                          vaccine (e.g. Group B streptococcus, malaria)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Lancet 2014;384; 1-2). Our fundamental science helped
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     with the understanding of how and why this virus has spread
             diseases lack effective vaccines for their control    of humans and animals                                                                                                                                                                                                                             (Carroll et al. Nature. 2015; 524:97-101).
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    Challenge two Food security                                                                                                                                                                             Challenge three Antimicrobial resistance
    1 in 10 people globally lack sufficient food for a healthy, active life. Feeding current and future                                                                                                     Microbes are gaining resistance to the treatments used to control them, making antimicrobial
    populations requires a secure and safe supply of food.                                                                                                                                                  resistance (AMR) one of the greatest current threats to human and animal health.

    The challenge                                                       the responsibility for and “ownership” of animal disease. A better                                                                  The challenge                                                       inhibition of pathogen-specific virulence factors and phage        Strategy
    Nearly 10% of people today, mostly in the developing world,         understanding of the societal and behavioural factors which          Case Study                                                     Antimicrobial resistance is recognised by the World Health          based treatment therapies, to reduce the usage of current          IGH will investigate the clinical and environmental factors that
    lack sufficient food to lead active and healthy lives, yet the      lead to outbreaks of Salmonella, Campylobacter and other food-       The parasite Neospora caninum is the leading cause of          Organization and governments around the world as one of             antimicrobials and to provide realistic and clinically relevant    drive the evolution and development of AMR, and develop novel
    global population is expected to rise further, to 9 billion, by     borne pathogens in people, will ameliorate the consequences          abortion in cattle in the UK, with no effective drugs or       the greatest threats to human and animal health. In humans,         alternatives. We will implement carefully designed integrative     antimicrobial treatment strategies.
    2050. To feed current and future populations we need to ensure      of these diseases. We will continue to explore the roles that        vaccines, resulting in around 6,000 abortions per year;        the burden of disease due to antimicrobial resistance is high       pipelines using in vitro assays and in vivo models for screening
    a secure supply of food that is safe to eat. Food production in     environmental and food pathways and their interactions can           and a US$1.3 billion global cost. We developed diagnostic      and growing, globally and in the UK. For example, sepsis due        novel therapeutics to treat major antimicrobial resistant          We will consolidate our strengths in this area, supporting
    future is expected to be challenged by the effects of climate       play in food safety, examining how human behaviour can               tests, and studied the pathogenesis, epidemiology              to resistant bacteria causes over 50,000 deaths and costs           bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus           the cross-faculty antimicrobial resistance initiative, with
    change affecting crops, animals and driving the emergence and       influence exposure to pathogens and the risk of disease. We          and transmission of the parasite, to show when and             the NHS £2.3 billion per year, more than breast, bowel and          aureus (MRSA), E.coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and                   further appointments, particularly in microbiology. We will
    spread of infectious diseases. A further challenge is the spread    will use the latest genomic techniques to understand patterns        how cattle were being infected. This led to control and        prostate cancers combined. Antiviral drug resistance in HIV and     Streptococcus pneumoniae. We have world leading expertise          continue to work closely with stakeholders, including Public
    of antimicrobial resistance in a broad sense – resistance to the    of transmission, for example molecular typing of isolates of         eradication measures, delivered to the industry through        Hepatitis C require new approaches, and stronger international      in understanding the mechanism of disease caused by these          Health England, DEFRA, and the Food Standards Agency,
    treatments used against viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.     Campylobacter to gain key information about the make-up of           collaboration with the Animal and Plant Health Agency          collaborations. There is a need not just for new antimicrobials,    pathogens and in developing unique, clinically relevant and        and capitalise on our close links with the relevant NIHR
                                                                        the UK Campylobacter population in humans and chickens. We           (APHA) and ‘Myhealthyherd’ company, to eradicate the           but also novel therapeutic strategies that target specific          reproducible in vivo models to test for new treatments against     Health Protection Research Units. We will also strengthen our
    Our contribution                                                    are a major source of advice to UK Government on food safety         infection from many herds, and impacting positively on         microbial virulence factors and augment the immune response         antimicrobial resistant infections. Importantly, our models can    links with social and behavioural scientists, both within and
    IGH will contribute to the prevention and control of infectious     and our research work is widely quoted by the Chief Scientific       the cattle industry (Williams et al. Infection and Immunity.   to infection.                                                       also be used for pre-clinical testing of drug dosing strategies    outside Liverpool, to develop our work on prescribing practise
    disease in food producing animals, particularly through             Advisor to the Food Standards Agency.                                2007;75:1343-1348; Highlighted in REF 2014 as an                                                                                   coupled to monitoring of resistance development and for            behaviour and the ecology of antimicrobial resistance.
    improved diagnostics, new vaccinations and the development                                                                               outstanding example of impact).                                Furthermore, to reduce selective pressure and preserve              testing novel antimicrobial combinations. We will continue
    of informed, bespoke management programmes that rely less           Strategy                                                                                                                            the current arsenal of antimicrobials, there is a real need to      our work in the UK and overseas to understand the ecology
    on blanket drug administration. Reduction of reservoirs of          IGH will be an international leader in food security research,                                                                      understand prescribing behaviour. Antimicrobial stewardship is      and epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance in animals and
    zoonotic bacterial and parasitic pathogens in animal populations    especially through improved control of infectious disease in                                                                        key to the preservation of broad spectrum agents including those    humans, examining the patterns of spread between them. By            Case Study
    will reduce risk to humans from food-borne pathogens. We will       food producing animals, and improved food safety.                                                                                   critically important to human health; we need to examine how        analysing current trends in resistance, prescribing patterns         We have developed a novel approach for reducing the
    contribute to the introduction of precision veterinary medicine                                                                                                                                         and why antimicrobials are used in animals and humans, so that      and behaviour we will provide evidence to guide antimicrobial        reliance on antibiotics to treat life-threating infections such
    by developing rapid, accurate and pen-side diagnostics. We          We will seek to develop key resources at our Leahurst                                                                               we can promote sustainable behaviour change towards prudent         stewardship, through behaviour change. We will develop               as Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Streptococcus
                                                                        veterinary campus, particularly large animal and poultry                                                                                                                                                interventions to reduce the risk of transmission between             pneumoniae. Using in vivo models of MRSA, pneumococcal
    aim to develop novel, cost-effective animal vaccines. We will                                                                                                                                           use. We also need to better understand what contribution
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     pneumonia and sepsis, we have shown that specifically
    help elucidate the mechanisms by which drug resistance              facilities, and to strengthen critical mass with further                                                                            antimicrobial use in animals has on the ecology of antimicrobial    animals, including humans. We will continue to investigate
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     engineered liposomes can neutralise cytolytic bacterial toxins
    develops and we will contribute to the reduction of antimicrobial   appointments in microbiology and veterinary parasitology. IGH                                                                       resistance in livestock and other animals, their environment and    microbial ecology, particularly to understand the role of the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     during disease, preventing cellular damage, inflammation and
    and anthelmintic usage in animals. Our real-time surveillance       will be a lead player in discussions about research resource                                                                        transmission to man, to identify ways of mitigating the selection   microbiome in maintaining the balance between health and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     host death. In the future such treatments could be used alone
    systems for animal disease can contribute to the development of     allocation, through our key role in the N8 Northern Universities                                                                    and transmission of antimicrobial resistance.                       disease, and how this may be exploited to reduce our reliance
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     for antibiotic-resistant infections, or in conjunction with other
    national monitoring programmes for infections. Our work leads       collaborative research programme on food security and                                                                                                                                                   on antimicrobials. This is especially important for food-borne,      antibiotics for infections that lead to toxin induced severe
    naturally to the development and evaluation of new management       technology. We will develop the area of co-infection with regard                                                                    Our contribution                                                    respiratory and sexually transmitted pathogens.                      inflammatory reactions (Henry et al. Nature Biotechnology.
    practices, for example to control disease transmission. We will     to food security, and strengthen collaborations with our key                                                                        IGH will develop novel therapies against antimicrobial                                                                                   2015;33:81-88).
    help catalyse changes in culture, policy and practice surrounding   partners, the Moredun Research, Roslin and Pirbright Institutes.                                                                    resistance, focused on augmentation of host immunity,
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    Challenge four Diagnostic tests                                                                                                                                                                           Challenge five Vaccines
    Many people and animals remain untreated for infectious diseases because of a lack of                                                                                                                     Vaccines are the single most effective method to reduce the burden of infectious diseases in
    accurate, affordable and available diagnostic tests.                                                                                                                                                      humans and animals, but many major diseases lack effective vaccines for their control.

                                                                   The challenge                                                        and through our strong network of collaborators in the meat
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                For many important infections of animals and humans, both in           effectiveness, risk factors for residual disease and transmission
                                                                   Making better use of current diagnostic approaches, and              and milk industries, we will improve the diagnosis of animal
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                industrialised and tropical settings, there are no vaccines. Where     and exposure through post- introduction effectiveness studies
                                                                   developing new ways of diagnosing infections in humans and           infections including fluke, and digital dermatitis, by developing
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                vaccines do exist, to maximise their power and effectiveness,          on rotavirus, pneumococcus and influenza.
                                                                   animals are key to treating and controlling infections, both in      rapid, sensitive pen-side tests that allow informed, targeted
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                we need to better understand the interaction between pathogens
                                                                   the UK and overseas. Increasingly there is a trend towards point     and prompt treatment. Diagnosis of infection at the group and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                and their host, the epidemiology and disease burden of such            Strategy
                                                                   of care diagnostics, and automated molecular testing, which          population level will allow control programmes that reduce
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                infections, to develop new vaccine candidates, and to evaluate         IGH will undertake research to improve the effectiveness of
                                                                   moves away from the traditional diagnostic methods.                  pathogen transmission. Through understanding the molecular
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                their introduction and effective delivery into populations.            current vaccines and drive the development of new vaccines
                                                                   We need stratified medicine diagnostic approaches, with smarter      mechanisms of resistance, we will improve identification of drug
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       for major diseases of humans and animals.
                                                                   ways of diagnosing resistant pathogens, and more targeted            resistant pathogens, for example liver fluke, and develop a better
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Our contribution
                                                                   antimicrobial therapy, including the “start smart, then focus”       understanding of the population genetics of resistance to aid in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Integrating our clinical expertise, global reach and genomics          We will continue to invest in our major overseas collaborating
                                                                   approach, as advocated by the Chief Medical Officer. Molecular       reducing the spread of resistance within populations. To facilitate
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                expertise, IGH will map out the virulence determinants and             units in Malawi, Kenya and India, as well as working closely
                                                                   diagnostic approaches need to be more closely aligned with           the delivery of diagnostics in animals and humans we have
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                potential vaccine candidates for key bacterial diseases of             with our UK partners, including the North West Coast Academic
                                                                   epidemiological data, particularly for disease outbreaks, to allow   strong collaborations with industrial partners, such as EBLEX,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                humans and animals around the globe, including Streptococcus           Health Science Network and Liverpool Health Partners.
                                                                   rapid intervention and reduce pathogen transmission.                 DairyCo., Zoetis, Fast Track Diagnostics, and Sepsis UK.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                pneumoniae, Group A streptococcus, non-typhi Salmonella                To consolidate our strengths in vaccine research, from basic
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                and bovine digital dermatitis. We will deepen our knowledge of         biology through to phase IV implementation studies, within and
                                                                   Our contribution                                                     Strategy
                                                                                                                                                                                                              The challenge                                                     immune responses to develop improved products and more                 outside the Institute, we will establish the Liverpool Vaccine
                                                                   We will develop new and improved diagnostic tests for the            IGH will undertake research to develop new diagnostic tests for
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Vaccines are the single most effective method to reduce the       effective delivery for current vaccines against rotavirus, influenza   Research Centre (LiVaRC).
                                                                   major human infection syndromes, including sepsis, respiratory,      diseases of humans and animals, as well as improving existing
                                                                                                                                                                                                              burden of infectious diseases in humans and animals. Great        and Japanese encephalitis virus. We will identify novel antigens
     Case Study                                                    gastrointestinal and brain infections. We will achieve this by       diagnostic tests.
                                                                                                                                                                                                              successes include childhood vaccines, and the eradication         to incorporate into parasite specific vaccines such as Eimeria
     We have developed a novel early diagnostic test               building on our excellent national and international network of                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Case Study
                                                                                                                                                                                                              through vaccination of smallpox in humans, and rinderpest         which causes coccidiosis in poultry and cattle. To furnish
     for bacterial blood infections, based on optical              clinical cohorts; for example the Brain Infections UK network.       The use of smarter, integrated, connected health network                                                                                                                                                         We have shown that rotavirus diarrhoea, which kills almost
                                                                                                                                                                                                              in animals. However, the challenge remains to make better         vaccine programmes with information on level of efficacy
     measurements of the activated partial thromboplastin          Through our ZELS ZooLinK programme based in Kenya, we have           systems for diagnosis of infections in humans and animals,                                                                                                                                                       half a million infants and young children worldwide each year,
                                                                                                                                                                                                              use of the vaccines available, and develop new and improved       and coverage required to make implementation economically
     time (aPTT), which is part of the blood clotting cascade.     already manufactured, with a commercial partner, a lateral flow      for example our Health Innovation Challenge Fund project,                                                                                                                                                        can be prevented in the world’s poorest countries through
                                                                                                                                                                                                              vaccines. Vaccine-preventable diseases in humans include          viable, for example for Fasciola hepatica, we will develop better
     Through guideline development with national and               assay for human and porcine cysticercosis. We will build on this     Fully integrated, real-time detection, diagnosis and control                                                                                                                                                     vaccination. Systematic and sustained work led by Liverpool
                                                                                                                                                                                                              systemic infections (Group B Streptococcus, malaria),             information technology systems. Furthermore, we will conduct
     international bodies, this is now becoming a standard test    to develop multiplexed bead-based immune-assays over the next        of community diarrhoeal disease clusters and outbreaks, will                                                                                                                                                     over a period of 15 years confirmed the efficacy of rotavirus
                                                                                                                                                                                                              respiratory infections (Streptococcus pneumoniae, influenza),     disease burden studies to provide the evidence needed to
     in the UK and across the world. We are developing this        few years. We will also examine the behavioural and societal         help us address other major challenges such as antimicrobial                                                                                                                                                     vaccine (Madhi et al. N Engl J Med. 2010;362:289-98), led
                                                                                                                                                                                                              gastrointestinal infections (rotavirus, norovirus, Salmonella)    drive the development and introduction of vaccines into the UK           to a global recommendation for its use by the World Health
     into a point-of-care test for routine clinical use, through   factors that drive use and misuse of diagnostic tests, so that we    resistance. We will develop this work, across the N8
                                                                                                                                                                                                              and neurological infections (Neisseria meningitidis, Japanese     and resource-limited populations, in particular for Influenza,           Organization and has now demonstrated the major fiscal
     a spinout company, Sepsis Ltd, which is exploiting four       can ensure their better utilisation in the future. We will apply a   network, and strengthen our in-house commercial diagnostic
                                                                                                                                                                                                              encephalitis). In animals the leading vaccine-preventable         Group B streptococcus and norovirus. Rigorous clinical trials            and child health benefits of this approach in resource limited
     patents and has attracted £1.45m of investment (Wada et       combination of improved pathogen discovery techniques, and           services (Liverpool Veterinary Parasitology Diagnostics and
                                                                                                                                                                                                              infections include gastro-intestinal helminth and bacterial       for influenza and malaria vaccines will provide the high quality         countries (Bar-Zeev et al. Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2015;
     al. J Thromb Haemostasis. 2013;4:761-67).                     novel approaches which examine the host response. Through            Diagnosteq) and build industrial partnerships to enhance the
                                                                                                                                                                                                              infections, bacterial associated mastitis, infectious causes of   evidence for policy makers to make confident and informed                15:422-428).
                                                                   the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET),          impact of our research.
                                                                                                                                                                                                              lameness, respiratory infections and skin disease.                decisions on key vaccines. We also aim to measure cost
LIVERPOOL'S INSTITUTE OF INFECTION AND GLOBAL HEALTH - Strategic plan 2016-2021 - The University of Liverpool
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     Developing the next generation of researchers                                                                                     Working in Partnership
     and health practitioners                                                                                                          Overseas Research Collaborations                            UK Partnerships                                             forming strategic partnerships with local educational
                                                                                                                                       As a major international research institute tackling        We will continue to develop our strong local, regional,     institutions, such as the Life Sciences University
                              Education of undergraduate and postgraduate          Over the next two years we will recruit to key      global health problems we have many outstanding             and national partnerships, particularly with the            Technical College. We will continue our award-winning
                              students is an essential part of our Institute. We   junior and senior faculty positions, to help us     international partners on five continents. We will          Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and Universities     public engagement work, building on our full range
                              make key contributions to the undergraduate          address the Global Challenges identified in         continue to develop these through growth of research        of Lancaster and Manchester through the N8 Northern         of events, and extensive use of traditional and social
                              medical, veterinary and basic science                this document.                                      collaborations. In addition we will invest further in our   Universities Initiative. We will continue to work closely   media. To develop our public involvement programme
                              programmes at the University of Liverpool,                                                               key strategic institutional partnerships in Africa and      with colleagues at the Universities of Oxford and           we will be establishing new a Public Involvement
                              providing research-led teaching to inspire the       Through our Athena SWAN initiative we will          India, through personnel, postgraduate researcher           Cambridge, the Sanger Centre, the Roslin Institute, the     Panel, with representatives of patients, the public,
                              best undergraduates into academic careers.           ensure our Institute continues to provide a         studentships and exchanges.                                 Pirbright Institute, and the Moredun Research Institute.    stakeholders and end-users of our research.
                                                                                   supportive, family-friendly environment which
                              We lead a postdoctoral Masters in Research           gives the strongest support to the career           • The Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical             To enhance our major UK clinical programmes we              Policy
                              (MRes) programme, and will complement                progression of our women. Specifically we              Research Programme undertakes research on                will continue to collaborate with Liverpool Health          We work with many national and international policy
                              this by establishing a taught, principally           will aim for equal gender balance on all               major international disease priorities including         Partners, and the North West Coast Academic Health          makers, particularly the Department of Health, Public
                              online, Masters in Science (MSc) Course in           appointment committees for staff and students,         pneumonia, meningitis, tuberculosis, childhood           Science Network. We will also strengthen our applied        Health England, the Department for Environment, Food
                              Infection and Global Health. We will continue        and on Institute groups and committees.                diarrhoea, and HIV. We will expand our programme         research by closer work with the Veterinary Medicines       & Rural Affairs, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Food
                              to strengthen our PhD programme, through                                                                    with further staff appointments                          Directorate, Animal and Plant Health Agency,                Standards Agency, and other national Governments as
                              a mixture of internally and externally funded        We will continue to invest in our core                                                                          Department of Health, the North West Collaborations         well as the World Health Organization. We will establish
                              places, continuing our steady growth in overall      technologies including laboratories for working     • The International Livestock Research Institute           for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care          our own “Engaging with the Policy Makers” initiative to
                              postgraduate student numbers, both UK/EU             with high containment level pathogens, and             in Kenya works to improve food security and              (CLAHRC) and by developing our health data science          strengthen our contributions in this area.
                              and International.                                   pathogen proteomics, and to work closely               reduce poverty through research for better and           approaches through our role in the Farr Institute for
                                                                                   with the core genomics, proteomics and                 more sustainable use of livestock. We will support       Health Informatics.
                              We will strengthen our support for postdoctoral      imaging facilities, part of the University of          postgraduate student placements here to catalyse
                              researchers through our mentoring scheme             Liverpool Technology Directorate. We have had          further collaboration, and develop further joint         We will focus on developing our Industrial Partnerships
                              and, through the establishment of a                  considerable capital investment in our Institute,      funding proposals, particularly around food safety       and Knowledge Exchange, through increasing
                              Postdoctoral Society, ensuring they have             more than £50 million, in the form of the Ronald       and zoonotic diseases                                    applications to Innovate UK (formerly the Technology
                              representation at the highest levels in the          Ross Building and Innovation Centre Two                                                                         Strategy Board), building on our links with human
                              Institute. We will continue to develop our           Laboratories, situated in the Liverpool Science     • We will use our dual PhD Studentship programme           and veterinary pharmaceutical industries and with the
                              FLIGHT Programme, (Fostering Liverpool               Park. Despite this, our extraordinary success          with the National Institute of Mental Health and         UK meat and milk levy boards and through our own
                              Infection and Global Health Talent) which            and consequent rapid growth has meant that             Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in India to expand our           initiatives, supported by the University of Liverpool’s
                              has proved highly successful, supporting             we are already filled beyond capacity. We              portfolio of research in India                           Business Gateway.
                              seventeen externally-funded Fellowships since        will seek to address our urgent space needs
                              2010. In addition, through our Tenure-Track          through reuse of existing infrastructure and        • We will use the appointment of a staff member            Widening Participation,
                              Fellowship Scheme we will secure the future          further capital build, including at the Leahurst       at A*STAR University, Singapore, to expand our           Public Engagement and Involvement
                              careers of our most outstanding individuals,         veterinary campus where a number of our                research collaborations in southeast Asia.               We will build on our excellent widening participation
                              and attract talent from elsewhere.                   researchers are based.                                                                                          programme by extending our schools work, and
LIVERPOOL'S INSTITUTE OF INFECTION AND GLOBAL HEALTH - Strategic plan 2016-2021 - The University of Liverpool
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     Measuring and Monitoring our Progress
     We have set targets for five years ahead, and for the next REF in 2020. Our progress against these targets
     will be assessed annually at our External Advisory Panel meeting.
                                                                                                                                                                   The Institute of Infection and
                                                                                                                                                                      Global Health is at the
                                                                                                                                                               forefront of the University’s research
                                                                                                                                                                 and is a major contributor to our
                                                                                                                                                               outstanding international reputation.
                                                                                                                                                                       Professor Janet Beer,
       CRITERION                                                 BASELINE (average for 2012/13-2014/15)                  TARGET FOR 2020                        Vice Chancellor, University of Liverpool

       Ratio of PGR:Staff                                        1.7                                                     2.0

       External research income per FTE                          £194k                                                   £220k

       CRITERION                                                    UOA1 - Medicine                                      UOA6 – Agriculture and Veterinary

                                                  Baseline REF 2014             Target for REF 2020               Baseline REF 2014      Target for REF 2020

       % research staff returned                  83*		                         >90                               81*		                  >90

       % 4 STAR publications                      30                            >45**                             42                     >45**

     *% IGH staff returned to REF. **As assessed by IGH panel.
LIVERPOOL'S INSTITUTE OF INFECTION AND GLOBAL HEALTH - Strategic plan 2016-2021 - The University of Liverpool
CONTACTS
Institute of Infection and Global Health
University of Liverpool
8 West Derby Street
Liverpool
L69 7BE

+44 (0)151 795 9626
www.liverpool.ac.uk/infection-and-global-health
   Facebook.com/IGHLiverpool
   @IGHLiverpool

Institute Director
Professor Tom Solomon
Institute Manager
Dr Joanne Cummerson

INSTITUTE DEPARTMENTS
Department of Infection Biology

Department of Clinical Infection,
Microbiology and Immunology
                                                  We would like to thank the following people for contributing images to this publication;
Department of Epidemiology                        Raquel Medialdea Carrera (cover image) and Ellen Heinsbroek (page 10).
and Population Health
LIVERPOOL'S INSTITUTE OF INFECTION AND GLOBAL HEALTH - Strategic plan 2016-2021 - The University of Liverpool
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