Dr Ceri Evans BSc (Hons) MBBCh (Hons) DTM&H MRCPCH PhD

Research Overview

My research is based at the Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research in Harare, Zimbabwe where I have developed an interest in the relationship between maternal and child health, with a focus on infections, inflammation and immune development, particularly in the context of HIV infection

1. I have developed a research interest in the study of children who are perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected. My research has shown that these children have an elevated risk of mortality in early life compared to children born to woman without HIV, and children who survive are more likely to have growth failure and neurodevelopmental impairment.

Examples of research outputs:

Evans C, Chasekwa B, Ntozini R, et al. Mortality, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Transmission, and Growth in Children Exposed to HIV in Rural Zimbabwe. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2021; 72 (4): 586-94.
Omoni AO, Ntozini R, Evans C, et al. Child growth according to maternal and child HIV status in Zimbabwe. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal 2017; 36 (9): 869-76.
Evans C, Jones CE, Prendergast AJ. HIV-exposed uninfected infants: new global challenges in the era of paediatric HIV elimination. Lancet Infectious Diseases 2016; 16 (6): e92-107.

2. I am part of a team undertaking a large, pragmatic randomized controlled trial into the independent and combined effects of two interventions, infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), on malnutrition and neurodevelopment of children born to mothers living with HIV in rural Zimbabwe. This work identified an impact of the IYCF intervention on reducing childhood stunting, and an impact the combined IYCF and WASH interventions on improving early child development.

Examples of research outputs:

Prendergast AJ, Chasekwa B, Evans C, et al. Independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene, and improved complementary feeding, on stunting and anaemia among HIV-exposed children in rural Zimbabwe: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Lancet Child and Adolescent Health 2019; 3 (2): 77-90.
Chandna J, Ntozini R, Evans C, et al. Effects of improved complementary feeding and improved water, sanitation and hygiene on early child development among HIV-exposed children: substudy of a cluster randomised trial in rural Zimbabwe. BMJ Global Health 2020; 5 (1): e001718.

3. My current work is focusing on undertaking laboratory work and epidemiological analyses to better understanding the biological drivers of in the increased mortality seen in HIV-exposed children, and in better understanding the relationship between the immune systems of mothers and their children.

Examples of research outputs:

Evans C, Chasekwa B, Rukobo S, et al. Inflammation, cytomegalovirus and the growth hormone axis in HIV-exposed uninfected Zimbabwean infants. AIDS 2021; 4 (14): 2045-50.
Evans C, Chasekwa B, Rukobo S, et al. CMV acquisition and inflammation in HIV-exposed uninfected Zimbabwean infants. Journal of Infectious Diseases 2017; 215 (5): 698-702.
Wedderburn CJ*, Evans C*, Yeung S, Gibb DM, Donald KA, Prendergast AJ. Growth and neurodevelopment of HIV-exposed uninfected children: a conceptual framework. Current HIV/AIDS Reports 2020; 16 (6): 501-513. *Joint first authors.