Professor Neil French MB ChB, PhD, FRCP

Personal Statement

I am an infectious disease physician who has spent much of his career living and working in Africa. Initially with a strong focus on clinical HIV disease this has grown into a broader study of HIV within communities and the consequences of HIV for disease control at a community level. I have a particular interest in pneumococcal disease, respiratory health and the use of vaccines.

Current research is focused on understanding the limitations of pneumococcal vaccine use in African populations affected by HIV. Other areas of interest include the biology and epidemiology of other streptococcal infections and the role of vaccines for their control, in particular vaccines to control Group B streptococcal infections. Further work is developing a novel vaccine for Zika virus protection and a novel vaccine for pneumococcal disease protection focused on elderly and immunocompromised adults.

My work is predominantly epidemiology, integrating aspects of molecular biology and immunology as needed. I work on topics both in the UK and internationally with a strong connection to partners in Malawi.