Cameron Simmons

Dengue is the most important arboviral disease of humans and an enormous and growing public health problem. There are no licensed vaccines or anti-virals, no good animal models of disease and no validated methods of identifying patients who might develop complications from their illness. Our research programme is designed to better understand the pathogenesis of dengue and develop better methods of identifying patients at risk of severe disease.
Our studies in dengue patients are conducted in collaboration with clinical partners in hospitals throughout VietNam and particularly the Mekong Delta region. Through genomic studies of the virus and host, combined with investigations of the host immune response, we are gaining a better understanding of the factors associated with severe dengue. From this base we also evaluate new diagnostic tests and anti-viral drugs in randomised, controlled trials. Our research incorporates skills in epidemiology, genomics, bioinformatics, clinical trials, immunology and virology.