I am Professor of Statistical Science for Health in the Department of Primary Care and Public Health and Programme Leader at the Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit (MRC-BSU).
I have a degree in Statistical Science from “La Sapienza” (Rome) and a PhD in Medical Statistics from Cambridge. After a research position at “La Sapienza”, I worked at Public Health England (1991-2011). In 2011 I was appointed Programme Leader at MRC-BSU, which became part of the University of Cambridge in 2016. I was Deputy Director of MRC-BSU (2017-2024) and was promoted to an established chair in 2019.
I have over 25 years of experience of working at the interface between statistics and infectious disease epidemiology. My work has provided quantitative underpinning to the UK Department of Health policies on HIV, Hepatitis C, Influenza and SARS-CoV2.
In 2022, for work during the SARS-CoV2 pandemic I was awarded the Weldon Memorial Prize as a core member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Advisory Committee; received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Impact and Engagement, in the Established Academic category; and was awarded an honorary MBE as a Foreign National in recognition of services to Medical Research and Public Health.
As a member of the Council, I am particularly interested in strengthening recognition of the substantial role played in the University by the large research community not formally part of the collegiate structure and only partially engaged in teaching. I am passionate about inclusiveness within the University and its democratic functioning.