Dr Fiona Cresswell

Research

In 2016, Fiona joined the brain infections research group at the Infectious Diseases Institute, Kampala, Uganda and began a Wellcome-funded Clinical PhD Fellowship through London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Fiona's PhD research focussed on HIV-related tuberculous meningitis (TBM). She conducted a phase II trial of high-dose rifampicin in TB meningitis and showed that it is safe to increase the dose of rifampicin by 3.5-fold in HIV-associated TBM. Fiona is a site principal investigator in the HARVEST international TB meningitis multi-country phase III trial investigating the clinical impact of high dose rifampicin in TB meningitis. Fiona also continues to investigate novel diagnostics for TB meningitis.

Fiona is also interested in the role that injectable antiretroviral therapy can play in maintaining viral suppression, averting poor HIV outcomes or HIV transmission, and identifying ways to accurately target long-acting ART in Africa through precision medicine. She is chief investigator of a phase III multi-country clinical trial called IMPALA – Improving HIV outcomes in Africa with Long-acting Antiretrovirals - which is being led by MRC/UVRI-LSHTM Uganda Research Unit and is site principal investigator for the CARES – Cabotegravir and Rilpvirine Efficacy and Safety study- at the Infectious Diseases Institute in Uganda. Fiona is leading on a UK-wide observational cohort study of real-world use of cabotegravir and rilpivirine (CORAL study) which is coordinated by the Department of Global Health and Infection at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. 

Selected publications

Cissy Kityo, Ivan K Mambule, Joseph Musaazi, Simiso Sokhela, Henry Mugerwa, Gilbert Ategeka, Fiona Cresswell, Abraham Siika et al. and the CARES trial team. Switch to long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine in virologically suppressed adults with HIV in Africa (CARES): week 48 results from a randomised, multicentre, open-label, non-inferiority trial. The Lancet. 2024 (May). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00289-5

Ivan Mambule, Claire Norcross, Loice Achieng Ombajo, Simiso Sokhela, Eva Agnes Laker Odongpiny, Noela Owarwo, David S Lawrence, Eugene Ruzagira, Fiona V Cresswell. Lancet HIV. 2024; 11(6):E419-426. Two-drug regimens for the treatment of HIV in Africa. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3018(24)00061-4

Adrian Steulet, Bonniface Obura, Catriona Waitt, Eva Laker, Melanie R Nicol, Fiona V Cresswell. Clinical pharmacology considerations and drug–drug interactions with long‐acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine relevant to sub‐Saharan Africa. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2024; 1-13.  https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.16154

AR Gress, CE Ronayne, FV Cresswell, JM Thiede, DK Meyerholz, S Okurut, J Stumpf, TV Mathes, K Ssebambulidde, DB Meya, DR Boulware, TD Bold. Recently activated CD4 T cells in tuberculosis extress OX40 as a target for host-directed therapy. Nature Communications. 2023;14(1):8423. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-44152-8

Claire Norcross, Loice Achieng Ombajo, Sheetal Kassim, Nigel Garrett, Fiona Cresswell, Eugene Ruzagira. Long-acting antiretrovirals: research and implementation considerations in Africa. Lancet HIV. 2023;10(7):E428-E429. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3018(23)00134-0

Fiona V Cresswell, Mohammed Lamorde. Implementation of long-acting antiretroviral therapy in low-income and middle-income countries. Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS. 2022; 17(3):p127-134  doi: 10.1097/COH.0000000000000732

Fiona Cresswell, Kaveh Asanati, Sanjay Bhagani, Marta Boffito, Valerie Delpech, Jayne Ellis, Julie Fox, Linda Furness, Margaret Kingston, Massoud Mansouri, Amanda Samarawickrama, Kat Smithson, Alex Sparrowhawk, Paul Rafferty, Tom Roper, Laura Waters, Alison Rodger, Nadi Gupta. UK guideline for the use of HIV post‐exposure prophylaxis 2021. HIV Medicine. 2022; 23(5):p494-545 https://doi.org/10.1111/hiv.13208

Ramachandran PS, Ramesh A, Cresswell FV, Wapniarski A, Narendra R, Quinn CM, Tran EB, Rutakingirwa MK, Bangdiwala AS, Kagimu E, Boulware DR, Meya DB, Wilson MR. Integrating central nervous system metagenomis and host response for diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis and its mimics. Nature Communications. 2022; 13(1675)  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29353-x

Fiona V Cresswell, David B Meya, Enock Kagimu, Daniel Grint, Lindsey Te Brake, John Kasibante, Emily Martyn, Morris Rutakingirwa, Carson M Quinn, Micheal Okirwoth, Lillian Tugume, Kenneth Ssembambulidde, Abdu K Musubire, Ananta S Bangdiwala, Allan Buzibye, Conrad Muzoora, Elin M Svensson, Rob Aarnoutse, David R Boulware, Alison M Elliott. High-Dose Oral and Intravenous Rifampicin for the Treatment of Tuberculous Meningitis in Predominantly Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Positive Ugandan Adults: A Phase II Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2021; 73(5):p876-884 https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciab162

Prashanth Ramachandran, Akshaya Ramesh, Fiona Creswell, Annie Wapniarski, Carson Quinn, M Rutakingirwa, Ananta Bandigwala, E Kagimu, KT Kandole, Kelsey Zorn, L Tugume, J Kasibante, K Ssebambulidde, M Okirwoth, Nathan Bahr, Abdu Musubire, Amy Lyden, Paula Serpa, Gloria Castaneda, Saharai Caldera, Chaz Langelier, Emily Crawford, David Boulware, David Meya, Michael Wilson. 038 Resolving infectious meningitis in uganda with metagenomics and host transcriptomics. BMJ Neurology Open. 2021; 3(1)  http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjno-2021-ANZAN.38. 

Click here to Orcid profile > 

Click here to Google Scholar profile >