Strategy & Policy – David Simons

This section collects my work on high-level frameworks, strategies, and policy recommendations for the control of zoonotic diseases. The posts here focus on developing and evaluating novel public health interventions, such as transmissible vaccines and integrated One Health trial designs, that bridge the gap between ecological research and practical application.

E-learning Module for the ECDC on Environmental Determinants of Communicable Diseases

Consultancy

E-learning

One Health

ECDC

Policy

As part of a contract with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), I developed content for an e-learning module on the…

A ‘One Health Trial Design’ to accelerate Lassa fever vaccines

We propose an interdisciplinary framework to address significant challenges hampering the development of vaccines for zoonotic diseases with epidemic potential.

Forthcoming

Nature Medicine

One Health

Trial Design

Lassa Fever

Vaccinology

This commentary, forthcoming in Nature Medicine, argues for a new ‘One Health Trial Design’ (OHTD) framework that systematically integrates…

A minimum data standard for wildlife disease studies

Open Data

Data Standard

Policy

Zoonosis

Publication

Rapid and transparent data sharing is critical for responding to threats from wildlife diseases. However, the value of shared data is often limited…

Developing transmissible vaccines for animal infections

Publication

Science

Vaccinology

Disease Control

Wildlife Health

Policy

This publication in Science was the primary output of an interdisciplinary workshop I attended in March 2023, which was organized by Prof. Scott…