Barbara Tornimbene
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Barbara is a PhD Student in Epidemiology & Virology
Biography
Barbara graduated in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Milan, Italy, in 2003, with a specialisation in wild populations management. During the same year she moved to London, UK, where in 2006 she completed a Master in Development Management. The degree combined the theory of International business and economic development with the practical skills necessary for the efficient management of development projects. After working as accountant for the charity sector for few years, in 2009 she joined the epidemiology unit at the Animal Health Trust (AHT) and the virology department and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) as visiting worker. During the same year she began a consultancy job for a NGO in Cambodia, for which she drafted a project that, thanks to VLA financial support, became her PhD project.
Research
She is currently doing a PhD on the epidemiology of highly pathogenic porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome (HP-PRRS) in southern Cambodia, looking not only at the phylogenetics of the virus, but also at the interaction between the pathogen and the complex Cambodian farming system. She believes the role of epidemiology in veterinary medicine is to bring together scientific research, farming practices and socio, cultural and economic factors, to effectively deliver to key holders practical tools for animal disease control. In developing countries, where the veterinary service is often weak, and data are scarce, animal diseases can easily affect farmers’ livelihood and the need for a broader approach is often required. The epidemiological methods applied in her study will allow putting HP-PRRS into the Cambodian farming system context, providing her not only with valuable virological data, but also with the understanding of the disease occurrence in its ecosystem.