Dr Olivier Restif

1. Zoonotic virus ecology in bats.

The emergence of new viruses from bats in the last 30 years has drawn the attention of a broad scientific community to the ecology and immunology of this diverse group of mammals. We have established a successful international collaboration with Ghana and Australia to study fruit bats, their ecology, their viruses and their interactions with people. My team also investigates some of the challenges posed by zoonotic and emerging diseases (e.g. rabies, hemorrhagic fevers and COVID-19) in low-and-middle-income countries.

Current and former team members: Less Rowe, Maya Juman, Elisa Fesce, Imogen Lindsley, Elinor Jax, Emma Glennon.

Collaborators: Raina Plowright (Cornell University), Andrew Cunningham (Institute of Zoology), Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu (University of Ghana), Alison Peel (University of Sydney), Emily Nixon (Liverpool University), Julien Cappelle (CIRAD Montpellier), Jason Ladner (Northern Arizona University), James Wood (Cambridge), Charlotte Hammer (Cambridge).

 

2. Control of dog rabies.

I collaborate with veterinarians in rabies endemic countries in Africa and Asia to help them measure the burden of rabies and dog bites with the aim of improving surveillance and prevention.

Current and Team members: Rakesh Chand, Michelle Morters.

Collaborators: Malanga Sambo (IHI Tanzania), Katie Hampson (University of Glasgow). 

 

3. Mapping multi-drug resistance in bacteria.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to human and animal health. Multi-drug resistance is a particular concern, and is increasingly reported using genetic (sequencing) or phenotypic (growth inhibition assay) tools. However, analysing and interpreting these complex datasets requires sophisticated and ofter tailor-made computational techniques. We are investigating the epidemiology and evolution of multi-drug resistance in pathogenic, commensal and zoonotic bacterial pathogens in farm animals.

Current and former team members: Andrew Balmer, Ruchita Balasubramanian, Emma Salafsky.

Collaborators: Mark Holmes, Lucy Weinert (Cambridge), Gemma Murray (UCL).

 

• Post-docs
  • Elisa Fesce (2021-2023)
  • Elinor Jax (2019-2023)
  • Aaron Morris (2018-2020)
  • Michael Bateman (2015-2017)
  • Romain Garnier (2015-2017)
  • David Price (2015-2017)
  • Anaid Diaz (2012-2016)
  • Alison Peel (2012)
• PhD students
  • Maya Juman (2023-2026)
  • Liza Hadley (2020-2024)
  • Rakesh Chand (2020-2025)
  • Andrew Balmer (2018-2022)
  • Myrto Vlazaki (2017-2020)
  • Ed Lam (2016-2020)
  • Emma Glennon (2016-2020)
  • Alexandra Kamins (2009-2012)
• MPhil students
  • Kess Rowe (2025-2026)
  • Emma Salafsky (2024-2025)
  • Imogen Lindsley (2021-2022)
  • Ido Ben Zvi (2020-2021)
  • Ruchita Balsubramanian (2020-2021)
  • John Huber (2017-2018) 
  • Eric Mooring (2013-2014)
  • David Bradley (2014)
  • Lisanne Rens (2012)
  • Alice Wright (2011)