Rebecca Clark

🗞️ Recent study with @lshtm-tbmod.bsky.social modelled the potential impact of funding cuts to TB #PublicHealth initiatives from international donors

Already implemented USAID cuts could cost $7.5 billion (USD) for healthcare systems & people living with TB

Read 🔽
www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/cen...

🚨JOB OPPORTUNITY! Apply to come work with me on vaccine impact modeling (specifically #HPV and #RSV) @busph.bsky.social! jobs.silkroad.com/BU/External/...

The potential impact of reduced international donor funding on the household economic burden of tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries: A modeling study In a modelling study, Allison Portnoy and colleagues investigate the potential impact of reduced international donor funding on the household economic burden of Tuberculosis in low- and middle-income ...

With Nick Menzies and @lshtm-tbmod.bsky.social, our new modeling study estimated how reductions in donor funding could affect the economic burden of #TB on patients, especially among the poorest households journals.plos.org/plosmedicine...

World TB Day Symposium 2026: TB in a changing world
Join us in‑person / online for annual UCL‑TB/LSHTM WTBD Symposium on Tues 24 March 2026
• Beyond the lungs
• Global trends / health systems
• The potential for AI
…& more
www.ucl.ac.uk/tb/events/wo...
@tb-lshtm.bsky.social

The potential impact of reduced international donor funding on the household economic burden of tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries: A modeling study In a modelling study, Allison Portnoy and colleagues investigate the potential impact of reduced international donor funding on the household economic burden of Tuberculosis in low- and middle-income ...

New @plosmedicine.org

"eliminating all external funding for tuberculosis could lead to nearly 80 billion US dollars in additional household costs and more than 40 million extra households facing catastrophic costs"

journals.plos.org/plosmedicine...

Shout out to co-authors below:

@hiratanv.bsky.social
Tom Sumner
@kchorton.bsky.social
@top-j.bsky.social
Roel Bakker
Kirankumar Rade
Vidya Mave
Mark Hatherill
Gavin Churchyard
@reinhouben.bsky.social
@richardwhite321.bsky.social

Many thanks to all co-authors and others in the TB vaccine world for useful discussions on scenarios, implications, and potential ideas for future work (coming soon!)

@cmmid-lshtm.bsky.social
@lshtm-vaccines.bsky.social
@tb-lshtm.bsky.social
@lshtm-tbmod.bsky.social

Estimating the population impact of new tuberculosis vaccines depending on efficacy against infectious asymptomatic tuberculosis: A modelling study Hira Tanvir and colleagues estimate the potential impact of new tuberculosis vaccines under three scenarios of efficacy and conclude that to achieve the greatest impact, vaccines must prevent asymptom...

Our recent modelling study found that the estimated impact of new TB vaccines depends on the efficacy to prevent infectious asymptomatic TB. Read more in our paper out now in @plosmedicine.org!

journals.plos.org/plosmedicine...

The potential impact of reduced international donor funding on the household economic burden of tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries: A modeling study In a modelling study, Allison Portnoy and colleagues investigate the potential impact of reduced international donor funding on the household economic burden of Tuberculosis in low- and middle-income ...

In this modeling study, Allison Portnoy and colleagues investigate the potential impact of reduced international donor funding on the household economic burden of tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries 🧪 #MedSky #TB
plos.io/4ryyBFX

We know conflict & crises have severe repercussions for TB; health system disruptions, displacement, food insecurity... In our latest paper we examine the effects of war in Ukraine on engagement with a digital adherence tech by people w TB & health care workers journals.theunion.org/content/ijtl...

Estimating the global burden of viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection: A mathematical modelling study Alvaro Schwalb and colleagues conducted a mathematical modelling study to estimate the global burden of viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis--that which can cause disease and be transmitted--to help guid...

1/📢 In our new publication, we estimate that in 2022, 134 million people worldwide had a recent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and were at high risk of progressing to TB disease. Read the full paper in PLOS Medicine (tinyurl.com/mtbinfection). #TBSky

Estimating the global burden of viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection: A mathematical modelling study Alvaro Schwalb and colleagues conducted a mathematical modelling study to estimate the global burden of viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis--that which can cause disease and be transmitted--to help guid...

In this mathematical modeling study, Alvaro Schwalb and colleagues estimate the global burden of viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis—that which can cause disease and be transmitted—to help guide disease prevention efforts 🧪 #tuberculosis #MedSky
plos.io/4aqzIQV

Insights on the implementation strategies for a potential new tuberculosis vaccine in South Africa Several tuberculosis (TB) vaccines intended for adults and adolescents are in late-stage clinical trials, but there is limited research into how a new TB vaccine would be introduced. South Africa is a...

Our new paper on strategies for implementing a potential new #TB #vaccine in South Africa is now published in @plosglobalpublichealth.org!

doi.org/10.1371/jour...

Our Editor’s Choice commentary in @cidjournal.bsky.social finds that reported TB symptoms are an inadequate classifier of disease state, as they are heavily influenced by context and substantial interviewer variability, and may have alternative causes.

Read more here👇🏻

doi.org/10.1093/cid/...

Still time to register! 👇

Join the #WGNV ECR Network - Virtual Coffee Corner on 4 December 2025 to network, share experiences, and talk about #TBvaccine activities of interest.

📅 Date: Thur 4 Dec 2025
🕑 Time: 9:00 am EDT / 3:00pm CET | 4:00pm SAST | 7:30 pm IST
🔗 tinyurl.com/kj7kuuft

Another successful "Intro to TB Modelling" course in Copenhagen at #WLHC2025. Over 70 joined to learn about TB modelling!

Followed by the now-traditional TB Modelling and Analysis Consortium social, which was also very well-attended and a lot of fun.

#5 Mathematical modelling and clinical trial simulation of TB prevention
mrc-lid.lshtm.ac.uk/2026-27-proj...
with Tom Sumner, @raclark18.bsky.social & @danieljgrint.bsky.social

#3 How should countries deliver new TB vaccines when risk factors are considered?
mrc-lid.lshtm.ac.uk/2026-27-proj...
with @raclark18.bsky.social & @richardwhite321.bsky.social

Come join us for a PhD in the TB Modelling Group!

Tuberculosis and undernutrition: improving estimates to reinforce the policy imperative Undernutrition is a key driver of the global tuberculosis epidemic, increasing the risk of people developing tuberculosis disease and of poor outcomes in those who do.1 Each year, WHO publishes estima...

New comment:

Tuberculosis and undernutrition: improving estimates to reinforce the policy imperative

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

What’s a #UnionConf without the TB modelling course? Packed room again for a long day of intro to modelling.
@lshtm-tbmod.bsky.social @tb-mac.bsky.social #WCLH2025 #TBSky

Perhaps the most important collaboration at #UnionConf2025?

WHO STOP TB’s Hello Kitty met the LSHTM TB Modelling Group’s bunny mascot “Bugs” today 🐰

Shout out to @stoptb.bsky.social and @lshtm-tbmod.bsky.social for making TB epidemiology both rigorous and accessible. #EndTB #WCLH2025

Climate change and tuberculosis: an analytical framework Climate change is likely to exacerbate a range of determinants that drive tuberculosis, the world's leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. However, tuberculosis is often neglected in w...

Our framework that informed the @who.int TB & climate change policy brief out now in @lancetrespirmed.bsky.social, exploring the intersections and implications of climate change for the TB epidemic. Key message? TB should be considered a climate-sensitive disease
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Announcement Awardees | TBVI Awards 2026 - TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative Announcement Awardees | TBVI Awards 2026

✨ I’m so honoured to have been awarded one of this year’s TBVI Awards! ✨

I’m truly grateful for this recognition and excited for the opportunity to showcase my research at the TBVI Annual Meeting in January 2026.

#TBVI #tuberculosis #vaccines

tbvi.eu/announcement...

Body mass index and tuberculosis risk: an updated systematic literature review and dose–response meta-analysis AbstractBackground. The relationship between nutritional status and tuberculosis is critically important but poorly understood. We extended a 2009 review c

We think our recent review provides a better estimate of the RR leading to a much higher PAF, demonstrating the importance of addressing undernutrition to prevent TB.
academic.oup.com/ije/article/...

Tuberculosis and undernutrition: improving estimates to reinforce the policy imperative Undernutrition is a key driver of the global tuberculosis epidemic, increasing the risk of people developing tuberculosis disease and of poor outcomes in those who do.1 Each year, WHO publishes estima...

“Wow, I saw in the last GTB report undernutrition is much less important for TB than we previously thought” I hear you say…
Well, no. We think this is an underestimate, & as much as 28% of TB could be attributable to undernutrition – see our latest comment here: www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Impact of fluoroquinolone resistance on the cost-effectiveness of empiric treatment for multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis The WHO recommends the bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid (BPaL) regimen with the additional fluoroquinolone antibiotic moxifloxacin (BPaLM) for initial treatment of multidrug- or rifampicin-resis...

When fluoroquinolone resistance status is unknown, empirical use of BPaLM (adding moxifloxacin to BPaL) is cost-effective as a replacement for BPaL even with high fluoroquinolone resistance levels! 🦠💊

doi.org/10.1371/jour...

A global analysis of patterns of tuberculosis exposure and transmission Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health concern and the leading infectious cause of mortality globally. The disease exhibits strong prevalence patterns by age and sex, but the implications of these...

Understanding patterns of #TB exposure and transmission is needed for targeted prevention strategies. In our latest pre-print, @petedodd24.bsky.social and I estimated the proportion of TB exposure to and transmission from sex and age groups for 177 countries.

bit.ly/4nbV492

1/ It’s been 10 years (😮) since we reported that #TB prevalence was twice as high in men as in women.

📢 Our new preprint explores how sex differences have shifted with more recent national prevalence surveys and growing attention to #gender responsive TB prevention and care.

bit.ly/4gqP1LH

Global, regional, and national estimates of tuberculosis incidence averted by eliminating undernutrition in adults: a modelling study Background Current efforts to reduce global tuberculosis incidence have proved insufficient, highlighting that urgent action is needed to address underlying modifiable risk factors such as undernutrit...

So...what would happen to the global TB epidemic if we hypothetically "eliminated" undernutrition? In this preprint, we combined estimates from our new review (doi.org/10.1093/ije/...) with population-specific BMI distributions to find out...(doi.org/10.1101/2025...)