Meet the Transmission Zero team

George is co-Director of the global T0 programme and lead investigator of the vector immunology and transmission activities at Imperial. His expertise is in insect immunity and genomics, infectious diseases, and host-pathogen interactions.

Nikolai is co-Director of the global T0 programme and lead investigator of the genetic engineering and gene drive activities at Imperial. His expertise is in synthetic biology and gene drive technologies.

Dickson is the Director of the Transmission Zero Program at Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) and oversees implementation in Tanzania, including regulatory pathways and local collaborations. His expertise is alternative and transformative outdoor vector control strategies. Dickson is a Wellcome Trust International Intermediate Fellow and IHI's Deputy Head of Training and Capacity Building.

Fredros is Director of Science at the Ifakara Health Insitiute and directs institutional support for the progamme. He is a public health researcher and a mosquito biologist working on improved approaches for surveillance and control of vector-borne diseases.  He also serves in various advisory groups, including the World Health Organization Malaria Policy Advisory Group. 

Tib leads the technology transfer activities and establishment of entomological assays at Imperial and IHI. His expertise is in molecular and field medical entomology.

Alphaxard directs the Transmission Zero NIMR efforts in entomological and epidemiological monitoring of field sites, as well as community engagement coordination. Alphaxard has been working with national, academic and NGO partners to design and implementat national malaria control programs. He heads the Malaria Research Unit and Laboratory Sciences at Tanzania's NIMR, Mwanza Centre.

Sarah leads the implementation of biosafety procedures and documentation in the T0 IHI facilities and provides mentorship for the transmission studies. Sarah is a medical entomologist specializing in the control of mosquito disease vectors, She works for the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and has been based at IHI for 16 years, where she leads the Vector Control Product Testing Unit.

Brian leads the entomology related molecular biology activities at IHI and aids communication and outreach activities. His expertise is in molecular biology and bioinformatics. He is the Deputy Head of Department of Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences (EHES) and the Secretary/Biosafety Officer of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).

Frederic leads the field entomology and population genetics activities at IHI and will act as senior advisor to the Transmission Zero project. He previously worked as field entomology coordinator to the Target Malaria project. He has over 25 years expertise in vector molecular ecology and population genetics, focusing on mosquito traits crucial  release strategies such as mating behavior, dispersal, and patterns of gene flow.

Dina leads the discovery of antiparasitic effectors and molecular parasitology activities at Imperial. Her expertise is in molecular and cellular infection biology, with extensive experience in disease vector and malaria parasite genetics and functional genomics.

Lina is a research scientist, and a deputy-head of the environmental health and ecological sciences department at Ifakara Health Institute. She has a background in biochemistry, anthropology and public health. Lina will lead community and stakeholder engagement activities of the Transmission Zero.

Prisca is a molecular biologist at Ifakara Health Institute with a background in drug discovery, targeting major tropical infectious diseases like malaria. In the Transmission Zero Program, Prisca is responsible for conducting asexual and gametocyte culturing, mosquito infections assay and microinjections.