Rein Houben

Professor Rein Houben is a Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), where he is affiliated with the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Dynamics within the Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health. He co-leads the LSHTM TB modelling group and has been instrumental in developing and implementing the TIME model to support countries in their TB policy decision-making.

Professor Houben's research focuses on redefining our understanding of tuberculosis beyond the traditional binary view of 'latent' versus 'active' TB to recognize a complex spectrum of disease states. His work combines empirical data with mathematical modeling to address key scientific and policy questions related to TB. He has made significant contributions to understanding subclinical TB, transmission dynamics, and the structural determinants of TB including nutrition, climate health, and poverty. His research examines the full TB spectrum from Mtb infection through various stages of disease, including non-infectious and subclinical forms that may be infectious but not traditionally detected.

His recent publications reveal a strong focus on the intersection of TB with climate change, nutritional status, and social determinants, while also developing sophisticated modeling tools to inform policy decisions. Professor Houben's work consistently addresses the practical implementation challenges of TB control programs and seeks to bridge the gap between theoretical models and real-world application.

Professor Houben currently co-supervises 5 PhD students exploring questions around TB natural history, subclinical TB, post-TB sequelae, and community-wide screening for TB. His research has been funded by major organizations including the National Institutes of Health (US), National Institute for Health and Care Research (UK), Wellcome Trust, European Research Council, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Health Organisation.

He is actively involved in teaching at LSHTM, serving as a module co-organizer for EP202: Statistical Methods in Epidemiology and running the Virtual Ethics Committee exercise for the Online MSc Epidemiology course. He has supervised more than 20 MSc projects throughout his career and continues to mentor the next generation of TB researchers.