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Dr Louise Sigfrid

Dr Louise Sigfrid (MD, PhD, FFPH)

Senior Visiting Lecturer
E: louise.sigfrid@ndm.ox.ac.uk

Areas of expertise: Public Health, Health Protection, Global Health Security

Research areas: Strengthening preparedness for emerging epidemics and pandemics

Other faculty positions: Honorary Academic Public Health Consultant, UKHSA, Visiting Supervisor, Liverpool School of Tropical Health, Visiting Senior Researcher, Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford

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Biography

Louise is a medically qualified Public Health Specialist and Senior Research Investigator at the Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, recognised for her international expertise in global health security, epidemic preparedness, and health systems strengthening. She holds a medical degree from the University of Lund, Sweden, alongside a PhD. She is a Fellowship Member of the Faculty of Public Health UK and an Honorary Consultant in Academic Public Health for the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), with over 20 years of international experience designing, implementing, and evaluating health and research programmes across Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and West Africa. She specializes in global health security, health systems strengthening, epidemic preparedness, and research harmonisation. She has served as a trusted expert advisor to major global health organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO).

Alongside her active research portfolio spanning implementation of quantitative and qualitative studies, she contributes to international study coordination, capacity building, and community engagement. Her professional roles have included serving as Scientific Director for European outbreak response workshops and co-chairing international working groups, uniting scientists, clinicians, funders, policy makers and community members.

She has a passion for equity, inclusivity and fairness and a track record of securing research project funding from DHSC, the Wellcome Trust and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and high-impact policy reports for international organisations.

Research

Louise is a public health researcher dedicated to strengthening global health security and community protection by improving epidemic and pandemic preparedness. Guided by a commitment to reducing health inequalities, her work aims to protect populations from new and emerging infections and improve outcomes through engagement, observational, clinical, social and behavioural studies. A key focus is on protection against high priority pathogens, such as acute respiratory infections, arboviruses, and viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs). Louise is an investigator within the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit on Emerging and Zoonotic Infections (HPRU-EZI) and the ARBO-UK multicentre study. Committed to using community engagement, co-production and co-implementation to shape research, management, strategies and policy, including engagement with COVID-19 and Ebola survivors. During the pandemic she supported WHO through the clinical management group, and as part of her work with the International Severe Acute and Respiratory Infection Consortium (ISARIC) established the ISARIC Global Covid-19 Follow Up working group engaging international multidisciplinary specialists and Long Covid patient groups in implementing the first standardised Long Covid study across four continents. She regularly co-chairs international working groups, uniting international scientists, clinicians, and community members, with a passion for equity and inclusivity to improve outcomes and address local needs.

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Teaching

Louise is passionate about teaching, capacity development and supporting future public health and research professionals developing their potentials. She leads the Master’s Module in Global Health and Health Protection at BSMS, lectures in Public Health at Oxford University and is experienced in leading multidisciplinary outbreak response exercises nationally and internationally.

As a member of the Faculty of Public Health Curriculum Development group she has contributed to the review and updating of the Public Health Specialist Training Program Curriculum.

She supervises post-graduate students (Masters, MD and PhD degrees) and is an Educational Supervisor for Public Health Registrars and a Professional Appraiser.

Selected publications

Thomas K, Wilson B, Kabaajasi O, (Sigfrid L), et al.. Why Ebola survivors belong at the decision-making table, Nature Africa 2026:01:16, doi.org/10.1038/d44148-026-00158-0

Sigfrid L, Spasenoska D, O’Dwyer S, et al. Bundibugyo virus disease evidence map: a rapid research needs appraisal, EClinicalMedicine, 2026:08:20

Sukmaningrum E, Kartika Sari KA, ( Sigfrid L) et al. Chikungunya clinical management guidance: insights from a health system stakeholder study in Indonesia. BMJ Glob Health. 2026 Feb 18;11(2):e019419. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2025-019419.

Spasenoska D, Araya N, de Swart M, …, Sigfrid L. Evidence on mpox clade Ia and clade Ib: A rapid research needs appraisal. Int J Infect Dis. 2026 Mar;164:108348. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2025.108348.

Crealock-Ashurst B, Levanita S, Frischer SR, … Sigfrid L. PEARLES challenges and solutions to the implementation of clinical research responses to epidemics and pandemics: a scoping review. EClinicalMedicine. 2025 Jun 27;85:103294. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103294.

Kabajaasi O, Schilling S, Akugizibwe M, (Sigfrid L), Jacob ST. 'Involve those who are managing these outbreaks': stakeholders' perspectives on the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of clinical management guidelines for high-consequence infectious diseases in Uganda-a thematic network analysis. BMJ Public Health. 2025 Feb 13;3(1):e001165. doi: 10.1136/bmjph-2024-001165.

Sigfrid L, Chan XHS, Kasbergen LMR. Prevalence, clinical management, and outcomes of adults hospitalised with endemic arbovirus illness in southeast Europe (MERMAIDS-ARBO): a prospective observational study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2025 Jun;25(6):690-700. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00655-8, doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(25)00303-2.

Pazukhina E, Garcia-Gallo E, Reyes LF, Kildal AB, Sigfrid L; ISARIC Clinical Characterisation Group and ISARIC Global Covid-19 follow up working group. Long Covid: a global health issue - a prospective, cohort study set in four continents. BMJ Glob Health. 2024 Oct 21;9(10):e015245. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-015245.

Azambuja P, Bastos LSL, Batista-da-Silva AA, ( Sigfrid L), et al. Prevalence, risk factors, and impact of long COVID in a socially vulnerable community in Brazil: a prospective cohort study. Lancet Reg Health Am. 2024 Jul 17;37:100839. doi: 10.1016/j.lana.2024.100839.

Sigfrid L, Cevik M, Jesudason E,. What is the recovery rate and risk of long-term consequences following a diagnosis of COVID-19? A harmonised, global longitudinal observational study protocol. BMJ Open. 2021 Mar 10;11(3):e043887. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043887.