Animal health surveillance; early detection; decision-making under uncertainty; behavioural science; cognitive processes; livestock systems
2. Prevention and Control
I am preparing a proposal for the EUPAHW Call 2 focused on improving early detection and surveillance performance in livestock disease systems.
The project aims to develop a modelling framework that integrates epidemiological transmission dynamics with a cognitive model of how livestock producers interpret uncertain disease signals and decide whether to report them. The central research question concerns how decision thresholds, confidence formation, and institutional risk-buffering mechanisms (such as compensation schemes or regulatory environments) influence reporting behaviour, detection delays, and ultimately disease transmission dynamics.
I am a epidemiologist with over 15 years of experience in infectious disease surveillance, outbreak response, and global early warning systems, with previous roles at WHO, FAO, WOAH and Médecins Sans Frontières. My background includes animal disease epidemiology (including swine diseases during my PhD), epidemic intelligence, and surveillance system design. I am currently based at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp and also work with the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. I also recently completed a master in psychology
For this proposal, I am looking for a partner with expertise in behavioural science and cognitive processes, particularly in areas such as decision-making under uncertainty, judgement and decision-making, behavioural economics, or cognitive psychology. The role would involve contributing to the conceptual development and empirical testing of the behavioural component of the model.
Researchers interested in human decision-making in agricultural or veterinary contexts would be particularly well suited.
The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp is an internationally recognised centre for research and training in global health, tropical medicine, and infectious diseases. ITM conducts interdisciplinary research on infectious disease dynamics, surveillance systems, and global health preparedness, and collaborates extensively with international organisations and national public health institutions.
