The Pathogen Epidemiology Review Group (PERG) under the leadership of Dr Anne Cori, are undertaking an ambitious project to make key epidemiological information widely accessible in a standardised and easy-to-access way. This will help the global research and policy community to rapidly access the latest and best available evidence during future epidemics, so that they can act as quickly and effectively as possible.

PERG are undertaking a series of systematic literature reviews for nine pathogens identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as most likely to cause a future epidemic or pandemic. The aim is to create a central standardised database of epidemiological parameters to aid in the design and implementation of modelling, initially focusing on these nine WHO priority pathogens, but with a possibility to later further expand. PERG is a key collaborator of the WHO Global Repository of Epidemic Parameter project of the recently formed WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence.

PERG is designing an interface that presents the data in a clear, user-friendly and synthetic way. In addition, an accompanying R package, epireview, is developed as a key component of this work. By maximising the usability and dissemination of the information that is being collected, we aim for all outputs to be 1) easy for policy-makers and the broader scientific community to access; and 2) always kept up to date with new information added when available.

Playlist of PERG Science in Context episodes

Ebola Virus Disease

In this episode of Science In Context, Dr Thomas Rawson speaks with Dr Juliette Unwin about epidemiological parameters and mathematical models for Ebola virus disease. The Pathogen Epidemiology Review Group (PERG) recently published a systematic review providing the most complete picture of Ebola understanding to date.

Ebola Virus Disease with Dr Juliette Unwin

Ebola Virus Disease

Science in Context episode with Dr Juliette Unwin

In this episode of Science In Context, Dr Thomas Rawson speaks with Dr Juliette Unwin about epidemiological parameters and mathematical models for Ebola virus disease. The Pathogen Epidemiology Review Group (PERG) recently published a systematic review providing the most complete picture of Ebola understanding to date.

Marburg Virus Disease with Gina Cuomo-Dannenburg

Marburg Virus Disease

Science in Context episode with Gina Cuomo-Dannenburg

In this episode of Science In Context, Dr Sabine van Elsland speaks with Gina Cuomo-Dannenburg about Marburg Virus Disease and the first publication in a series of systematic reviews on outbreaks, mathematical models and disease parameters of nine infectious diseases prioritized on the WHO blueprint list.

Pathogen Epidemiology Review Group with Dr Anne Cori

Pathogen Epidemiology Review Group

Science in Context episode with Dr Anne Cori

In this episode of Science In Context, Dr Sabine van Elsland speaks with Dr Anne Cori about the pathogen epidemiology review group, their R Package EpiReview and the catalogue for mathematical modelling parameters which aims to facilitate rapid response to potential outbreaks of nine WHO priority pathogens.

PERG team

Emeritus team

 

Aaron Morris Ed Knock Lorenzo Cattarino
Alpha Forna Hayley Thompson Mara Kont
Amy Dighe Isobel Routledge Marc Baguelin
Arran Hamlet Janetta Skarp Pablo Perez Guzman
Ben Lambert Kelly Charniga Paula Christen
Bethan Cracknell Daniels Kieran Drake Sreejith Radhakrishnan
Charlie Whittaker Lily Geidelberg Zulma Cucunuba Perez
Cyril Geismar    

 

Contact us


For any enquiries related to the MRC Centre please contact:

Scientific Manager
Susannah Fisher
mrc.gida@imperial.ac.uk

External Relationships and Communications Manager
Dr Sabine van Elsland
s.van-elsland@imperial.ac.uk