Strengthening Capacity in Pandemic Prevention: WaSPP Consortium at Imperial College London

tiqbal28
Oct 6
2 min read

Members of the WaSPP Consortium recently gathered at Imperial College London to take part in the two week short course Mathematical Modelling for the Control of Infectious Diseases.

With generous support from the Institute of Philanthropy, three scientists from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia received scholarships to attend. Their participation strengthens regional capacity in wastewater surveillance - a crucial tool for pandemic prevention.

For over two decades, the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London has been at the forefront of mathematical modelling for understanding and controlling infectious diseases in humans and animals. Course participants benefited from lectures, coding practicals, and case studies led by world experts.

Beyond the classroom, the gathering provided an important opportunity for WaSPP members to exchange knowledge, spark new ideas, and work through challenges together, reinforcing the consortium’s collaborative spirit.

*Dr Michael Owusu at the John Snow water pump, commemorating the site of 1854 cholera outbreak which laid the groundwork for modern public health initiatives and the field of modern day epidemiology*

Voices from the Course

One of the scholarship recipients, Kiroshika Pillai Veel Pillay from the National Public Health Laboratory in Malaysia, shared her experience.

'My work focuses on environmental virology and wastewater-based surveillance of viruses with pandemic potential. This course has been extremely valuable in helping me strengthen my understanding of modelling and data interpretation, which are central to my research and the national surveillance programme I support.'

She highlighted how the course’s mix of theory and hands-on coding deepened her ability to apply mathematical models to real-world data:

'I particularly appreciated how different assumptions — like contact rates or intervention timing — can completely change outcomes, and how uncertainty is built into models. Linking models to real epidemiological data made me think about how I can better interpret wastewater signals, assess correlations with reported cases, and explore whether they can provide early warnings of outbreaks.'

Looking ahead, Kiroshika hopes to integrate modelling into her PhD research and national work by developing predictive dashboards that combine wastewater data with epidemiological models, giving public health decision-makers earlier and clearer insights

This collaboration reflects WaSPP’s mission: strengthening global capacity in wastewater surveillance and modelling to support preparedness for emerging and re-emerging pathogens.