Research
I am interested in supervising Masters research projects and PhDs in the areas of: infectious disease; emerging disease; vector-borne disease; arthropod vectors; One Health; TSEs. Please email me if you are a self- or scholarship-funded students (UK or international) interested in one or more of these areas.
Vector-borne diseases
Diseases transmitted by arthropod vectors. I have particular experience of working on tsetse flies, biting midges (Culicoides), mosquitoes (Aedes, Culex, Anopheles), fleas and ticks. Most of my research concerns the effects of climate, and climate change, as drivers of disease emergence and vector spread, using a mix of laboratory, field and in silico approaches.
Some recent publications:
- Jack Pilgrim, Soeren Metelmann, Emma Widlake, Nicola Seechurn, Alexander Vaux, Karen L Mansfield, Jola Tanianis Hughes, Ken Sherlock, Nicholas Johnson, Jolyon Medlock, Matthew Baylis, Marcus SC Blagrove (2024). UK mosquitoes are competent to transmit Usutu virus at native temperatures bioRxiv 2024.07.19.604126; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.07.19.604126. One Health https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100916
- Arturo Hernandez-Colina, Nicola Seechurn, Taiana Costa, Javier Lopez, Matthew Baylis, Jenny C. Hesson (2024). Surveillance of Culex spp. vectors and zoonotic arboviruses at a zoo in the United Kingdom. Heliyon, e26477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26477
- Seechurn N, Trent Herdman M, Hernandez-Colina A, Vaux AGC, Johnston C, Berrell M, Lopez J, Eckley L, Gonzalez M, Gillespie L, Kelly PP, Baylis M, Medlock J. (2024). Field-based assessments of the seasonality of Culex pipiens sensu latu in England – an important enzootic vector of Usutu and West Nile viruses. Parasites & Vectors. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-024-06143-6
- Emma L. Fairbanks, Matthew Baylis, Janet M. Daly, and Michael J. Tildesley (2022). Inference for a spatio-temporal model with partial spatial data: African horse sickness virus in Morocco. Epidemics 39, 100566. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epidem.2022.100566
- Hernandez-Colina, A, González-Olvera M, Lomax E, Townsend F, Maddox A, Hesson JC, Sherlock K, Ward D, Eckley L, Vercoe M, Lopez J, Baylis M (2021). Blood-feeding ecology of mosquitoes in two zoological gardens in the United Kingdom. Parasites & Vectors 0.1186/s13071 021 04735 0
Some significant publications
Metelmann S, Caminade C, Jones AE, Medlock JM, Baylis M and AP Morse (2019). The UK's suitability for Aedes albopictus in current and future climates. Journal of Royal Society Interface 16, 20180761, http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2018.0761
Jones AE, Turner J, Caminade C, Heath A, Wardeh M, Kluiters G, Diggle P, Morse A, Baylis M (2019). Bluetongue risk under future climates. Nature Climate Change 9, 153-157. 10.1038/s41558-018-0376-6
Baylis M, Caminade C, Turner J & Jones A.E. (2017). The role of climate change in the developing threat: the case of bluetongue in Europe. OIE Science and Technical Review 36, 467-478. 10.20506/rst.36.2.2667
Caminade C, Turner J, Metelmann S, Hesson JC, Blagrove MSC, Solomon T, Morse AP & Baylis M (2017). Global risk model for vector-borne transmission of Zika virus reveals the role of El Niño 2015. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1614303114
Guis H, Caminade C, Calvete C, Morse AP, Tran A and Baylis M (2011) Modelling the effects of past and future climate on the risk of bluetongue emergence in Europe. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 9, 339-350. Published online before print June 22, 2011, doi:10.1098/rsif.2011.0255.
Purse BV, Mellor PS, Rogers DJ, Samuel AR, Mertens PPC & Baylis M (2005). Climate change and the recent emergence of bluetongue in Europe. Nature Reviews Microbiology 3, 171-181.
Mellor P, Boorman J & Baylis M (2000). Culicoides biting midges: their role as arbovirus vectors. Annual Review of Entomology 45, 307-340.
Baylis, M., Mellor, P.S. and Meiswinkel, R. (1999). Horse sickness and ENSO in Africa. Nature 397, 574.
Climate change and health
How climate, and climate change, drives the emergence of infectious diseases.
Some recent publications
Thomas W. Crowther, Rino Rappuoli, Cinzia Corinaldesi, Roberto Danovaro, Timothy J. Donohue, Jef Huisman, Lisa Y. Stein, James Kenneth Timmis, Kenneth Timmis, Matthew Anderson, Lars R. Bakken, Matthew Baylis, Michael J. Behrenfeld, Philip W. Boyd, Ian Brettell, Ricardo Cavicchioli, Camille S. Delavaux, Christine M. Foreman, Janet K. Jansson, Britt Koskella, Kat Milligan-McClellan, Justin North, Devin Peterson, Mariagrazia Pizza, Juan L. Ramos, David Reay, Justin V. Remais, Virginia Rich, William J. Ripple, Brajesh K. Singh, Gabriel Reuben Smith, Frank J. Stewart, Matthew Sullivan, Johan van den Hoogen, Madeleine J. H. van Oppen, Nicole S. Webster, Constantin M. Zohner, Laura G. van Galen (2024). Scientists’ Call to Action: Microbes, Planetary Health, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Cell 187, 5195 – 5216. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00845-6
Metelmann S, Pattni K, Brierley L, Cavalerie L, Caminade C, Blagrove MSC, Turner J, Sharkey KJ, Baylis M (2021). Impact of climatic, demographic and disease control factors on the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in large cities worldwide. medRxiv 10.1101/2020.07.17.20155226. One Health, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100221
Some significant publications
Cavicchioli R, Ripple WJ, Timmis KN, Azam F, Bakken LR, Baylis M, Behrenfeld MJ, Boetius A, Boyd PW, Classen AT, Crowther TW, Danovaro R, Foreman CM, Huisman J, Hutchins DA, Jansson JK, Karl DM, Koskella B, Welch DBM, Martiny JBH, Moran MA, Orphan VJ, Reay DS, Remais JV, Rich VI, Singh BK, Stein LY, Stewart FJ, Sullivan MB, van Oppen MJH, Weaver SC, Webb EA, Webster NS (2019). Scientists’ Warning to Humanity: microorganisms and climate change. Nature Reviews Microbiology 17, 569-586. 10.1038/s41579-019-0222-5
Kovats S, Brisley R, Baylis M, Belcher C, Bennett-Lloyd P, Betts R et al. (2021) Health, communities and the built environment. London, 2021. 286 p. (Technical Report of the Third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3)). https://www.ukclimaterisk.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CCRA3-Chapter-5-FINAL.pdf
Baylis M (2017). Potential impact of climate change on emerging vector-borne and other infections in the UK. Environmental Health 16(112). DOI 10.1186/s12940-017-0326-1
McIntyre KM, Setzkorn C, Hepworth PJ, Morand S, Morse AP, Baylis M (2017). Systematic Assessment of the Climate Sensitivity of Important Human and Domestic Animals Pathogens in Europe. Scientific Reports 7, 7134. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-06948-9
Richardson, J., C. Lockhart, S. Pongolini, W. B. Karesh, M. Baylis, T. Goldberg, J. Slingenbergh, P. Gale, T. Venturini, M. Catchpole, K. de Balogh, M. Pautasso, A. Broglia, F. Berthe, J. Schans and G. Poppy (2016). Drivers for emerging issues in animal and plant health. EFSA Journal 14. DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2016.s0512
Kreppel KS, Caminade C, Telfer S, Rajerison M, Rahalison L, Morse A, Baylis M. (2014). A non-stationary relationship between global climate phenomena and human plague incidence in Madagascar. PloS Neglected Tropical Diseases, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003155
Baylis M & Githeko AK (2006). The effects of climate change on infectious diseases of animals. State of Science Review for Foresight Project Detection and Identification of Infectious Diseases. Office of Science and Innovation, UK.
One Health
The intersection of human health, animal health and the health of the environment.
Some recent publications
Sarah Hayes, Joe Hilton, Joaquin Mould-Quevodo, Christl Donnelly, Matthew Baylis, Liam Brierley (2024). Ecology and environment predict spatially stratified risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds across Europe. bioRxiv 2024.07.17.603912
Omani R, Cavalerie L, Daud A, Cook A, Nakadio E, Fèvre EM, Gitao G, Robinson J, Nanyingi M, Baylis M, Kimeli P & Onono J (2024). Goat Seropositivity as an Indicator of Rift Valley Fever (Rvf) Infection in Human Populations: A Case-Control Study of the 2018 Rift Valley Fever Outbreak in Wajir County, Kenya. Available at SSRN: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4771930. One Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100921
Mburu CM, Bukachi S, Majiwa H, Ongore D, Baylis M, Mochabo K, Fèvre E, Howland O. (2023) Prioritization of livestock diseases by pastoralists in Oloitoktok Sub County, Kajiado County, Kenya. PLoS ONE 18(7): e0287456. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287456.
K Marie McIntyre, Michael Cooper, Matthew Baylis (2023). Capacity for One Health research in the Horn of Africa. One Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100549
Lisa Cavalerie, Maya Wardeh, Ophélie Lebrasseur, Mark Nanyingi, K. Marie Mcintyre, Mirgissa Kaba, Daniel Asrat, Robert Christley, Gina Pinchbeck, Matthew Baylis, Siobhan M. Mor (2021). One hundred years of zoonoses research in the Horn of Africa: a scoping review. PlosNTD 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009607
Some significant publications
Wardeh M, Baylis M, Blagrove MSC (2021). Predicting mammalian hosts in which novel coronaviruses can be generated bioRxiv 10.1101/2020.06.15.151845. Nature Communications 12, 780. 10.1038/s41467-021-21034-5
Wardeh M, Sharkey K and Baylis M. (2020) Integration of shared-pathogen networks and machine learning reveal key aspects of zoonoses and predict mammalian reservoirs. Proc Roy Soc Lond B. 287, 20192882. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2882.
Wardeh M, Risley C, McIntyre KM, Setzkorn C, Baylis M (2015). Database of host-pathogen and related species interactions, and their global distribution. Scientific Data 2, 150049(2015). doi: 10.1038/sdata.2015.49
Morand S, McIntyre KM, Baylis M (2014). Domesticated animals and human infectious diseases of zoonotic origins: domestication time matters. Infection, Genetics and Evolution 24, 76-81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2014.02.013
McIntyre KM, Setzkorn C, Wardeh M, Hepworth PJ, Radford AD, Baylis M (2013). Using open-access taxonomic and spatial information to create a comprehensive database for the study of mammalian and avian livestock and pet infections. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 116, 325-35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2013.07.002.
Research groups
Research grants
RCG Culex distribution, vector competence and threat of transmission of arboviruses to humans and animals in the UK
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
April 2023 - March 2026
Preventing drops in egg production in UK free-range flocks: understanding the interactions between farm practices, flock coinfections and immunity
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
January 2024 - January 2027
CLIMate SEensitive DISease Forecasting Tool (CLIMSEDIS )
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
April 2023 - March 2028
: Environmental solutions to reduce the risk of current and future tick-borne zoonotic pathogens in the UK
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL
December 2021 - November 2025
Usutu virus risk to the UK: Determining local vector competence and modelling climate suitability
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
June 2022 - May 2025
Amirah Rashid - Bench Fees
MAJLIS AMANAH RAKYAT (KUALA LUMPUR)
November 2021 - October 2024
Global trade of coronavirus hosts: bringing geographically isolated hosts and viruses together risks novel recombination and spillover to humans
UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
July 2021 - July 2022
Predicting animal hosts for future novel coronavirus recombination, and effective strategies for minimising avoidable human-influence driven risk
UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
March 2021 - March 2022
NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections (HPRU EZI)
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
April 2020 - March 2025
The role of heartwater (Ehrlichia ruminantium infection) in Acute Camel Death Syndrome in Kenya
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY (BEIS) (UK)
January 2019 - October 2020
Transitions to resilience and sustainability through UK dairy systems and supply chain innovation
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
January 2018 - September 2022
Vector excreta surveillance to support the rapid detection of vector-borne diseases.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2017 - June 2019
One Health Research Network for the Horn of Africa (HORN)
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL, ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2017 - March 2023
Understanding the emergence of variant infectious bronchitis virus in chickens in UK and India: shared control strategies
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2017 - August 2022
The Tick Cell Biobank: outposts in Asia, Africa and South America
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2017 - June 2021
The Tick Cell Biobank - a UK and international biological resource
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2017 - March 2023
2014 allocation - Wellcome ISSF non clinical fellowships
WELLCOME TRUST (UK)
May 2015 - October 2018
Impact of El Niño on malaria vector dynamics in Tanzania and Malawi: observation improvement and unleashing forecasting potential
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL
April 2016 - December 2017
Big Data approaches to host-pathogen mapping: EID2 - an open-access, taxonomically- and spatially-referenced database of pathogens and their hosts
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
October 2016 - March 2018
US Partnering Award: Vector-borne diseases in the UK & US: common threats and shared solutions
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
July 2016 - July 2020
Zika: susceptibility of vectors to infection and influence of temperature on the extrinsic incubation period
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY (BEIS) (UK)
April 2016 - September 2017
MIDGESYM - Symbiotic bacteria in midges: understanding their role in determining vector competence and transmission of viruses
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
August 2015 - July 2017
Mosquitoes and the spread of arboviruses: What is the threat to UK horses?
THE HORSE TRUST (UK)
September 2014 - August 2017
Health Protection Research Unit: Emerging Infections (including zoonoses) and Biological Threats. (HPRU)
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
April 2014 - March 2020
Improving projections for the future of bluetongue and its vectors under scenarios of climate and environmental change
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
March 2013 - March 2018
Vector competence of British mosquitoes to flaviviruses.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
November 2013 - November 2017
Emergence of Japanese encephalitis in the highlands of Nepal
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
June 2013 - December 2015
Surveillance in backyard poultry in Oman for select agents of poultry - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus and Newcastle Disease virus.
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (UK)
October 2012 - March 2014
Innovative and Sustainable Strategies to Mitigate the Imact of Global Change on Helminth Infections in Ruminants - GLOWORM
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
January 2012 - December 2014
The epidemiology of liver fluke in dairy farms
TESCO PLC (UK)
October 2012 - September 2014
Improving the control of liver fluke infection in cattle in the UK
AGRISEARCH (UK) (IRE), BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL, DAIRYCO (UK), EBLEX (UK), HYBU CIG CYMRU MEAT PROMOTION WALES (UK), QUALITY MEAT SCOTLAND (UK)
October 2013 - February 2019
Vaccines against helmiths infections - PARAVAC
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
April 2011 - March 2015
The threat of African horse sickness virus in the UK: furthering our understanding of vector biology and how best to protect horses in the event of an outbreak.
HORSERACE BETTING LEVY BOARD (UK)
January 2012 - January 2016
Quantifying Weather and Climate Impacts on Health in Developing Countries (QWeCI)
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
February 2010 - September 2013
What, where and weather? Integrating open-source taxonomic, spatial and climatologic information into a comprehensive database of livestock infections.
BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL
December 2012 - November 2013
Risk assessment of the impact of climate change on human health and well-being
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL
April 2009 - April 2012
Predicting the effects of climate change on infectious diseases of animals
LEVERHULME TRUST (UK)
October 2007 - March 2013
Research collaborations
Jolyon Medlock
HPRU in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections
Public Health England
Joint supervision of Phds. Theme leads for Vector Biology
Steve Torr
HPRU Emerging and Zoonotic Infections
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Joint supervision of Phds. Theme leads for Vector Biology
Greg Hurst