Title: Cancer-causing infections in rural Africa
Abstract: Within the context of a General Population Cohort in rural Uganda, cancer is the most significant cause of non-communicable disease (NCD) deaths (>33% of NCD deaths and >15% of all deaths) and, cancer-causing infections are amongst the most significant risk factors for NCDs in the region. The most important oncogenic infections - Human Papillomavirus, Kaposi’s sarcoma associated herpesvirus, Hepatitis B and Helicobacter pylori – are highly prevalent, but afford important opportunities for cancer prevention.
Biography: I qualified in Medicine from the University of London in 1991. During my pre-registration year I was awarded a MRC Research Training Fellowship and began a career in epidemiology. In 1992, I joined the Imperial Cancer Research Fund’s Cancer Epidemiology Unit in Oxford (now Cancer Research UK). In 2005, I moved to the University of York and in 2012 I was seconded to work at MRC/UVRI. I am interested in the interaction between communicable and non-communicable disease and have particular experience of the conduct of epidemiological research in developing country settings.
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