Louise Matthews

Professor Louise Matthews is a distinguished academic in Infectious Disease Ecology at the University of Glasgow's Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine (IBAHCM) within the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences. Based in the Wolfson Link Building in Glasgow, she has established herself as a leading researcher applying quantitative approaches to infectious disease data. Her work spans multiple continents with significant collaborative projects in Tanzania and other East African countries, focusing on the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health.

Professor Matthews' research interests center on applying mathematical and statistical tools to understand host-pathogen systems and inform disease control strategies. Her work investigates individual variability in disease transmission (including superspreading phenomena), aggregation patterns in host-parasite systems, diversity metrics in epidemiological contexts, genetic susceptibility to infections, and game theory applications to disease control planning. Current projects address E. coli O157 transmission in cattle, sea-lice resistance in salmon, antimicrobial resistance dynamics, and Rift Valley fever epidemiology.

Analysis of her recent publications (2020-2025) reveals a strong emphasis on antimicrobial resistance in low-resource settings, particularly in East Africa. Her work examines transmission dynamics of resistant pathogens across human, animal, and environmental interfaces, with significant contributions to understanding neonatal infections, antibiotic misuse patterns, and the social determinants of antimicrobial resistance. She has also made important contributions to viral epidemiology (particularly Rift Valley fever), data visualization for public health decision-making, and the development of quantitative methods for infectious disease modeling.

Professor Matthews maintains an active research program with numerous international collaborations, particularly with institutions in Tanzania. Her work demonstrates a commitment to translating quantitative epidemiological research into practical disease control strategies, with particular attention to resource-limited settings where infectious disease burdens are highest. She has supervised numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, though specific names are not listed in the available materials.

Her research group operates at the intersection of mathematical modeling, field epidemiology, and molecular biology, employing a truly interdisciplinary approach to tackle complex infectious disease challenges. Current projects involve close collaboration with clinicians, veterinarians, microbiologists, and social scientists to address antimicrobial resistance from multiple angles.