RESEARCH VISIT TO NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHOLERA AND ENTERIC DISEASES, KOLKATA: DEBORAH SHACKLETON

Exeter Cohort 4 student Deborah Shackleton has just returned from a two-month research visit to Kolkata in India, where she was hosted by the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) under the supervision of Dr Shanta Dutta.  Debbie’s PhD research focuses on “Mathematical modelling for the effects of climate change on cholera in the Bengal Delta” and a key aim of her visit was to work on a modelling chapter for her thesis.

Debbie was given access to NICED datasets, including vital cholera datasets that are difficult to get hold of through other means.  She worked from an NICED office, so benefited from frequent meetings with colleagues, who also advised on local practices.  In return for her hosts’ amazing hospitality Debbie delivered a lecture on Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases.  Away from the office Debbie toured sewage and drinking water sites and met with a local medical charity in order to better understand water and sanitation practices in slum areas and their potential impacts on cholera transmission.

Debbie considers that her experience of life in a major developing country has been invaluable, both personally and professionally.  In addition to producing a co-authored paper, Debbie has been invited to present at a NICED-organised conference.  She believes that both the University of Exeter and NICED have profited from her research visit and that there is the real potential for ongoing collaboration, which will benefit both organisations.