Background

Madeleine Thomson is a Senior Research Scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) where she chairs the Africa Regional Programme, directs Impacts Research and supports the IRI-PAHO-WHO collaborating centre activities. She trained originally as a field entomologist and has spent much of her career engaged in operational research in support of large-scale health interventions, mostly in Africa. Her research focuses on the development of new tools for improving climate sensitive health interventions (e.g. riskmapping and early warning systems for malaria, onchocerciasis, kala azar, etc). This work has expanded into air-borne infections and she is currently developing a substantive programme for meningitis environmental risk assessment in anticipation of the new conjugate A vaccine. In recent years she has become increasingly interested in improving institutional and human capacity for incorporating climate information into health planning. To help achieve the latter she is working to create a 'health and climate' disciplinary interface.

She has been PI and Co-PI on projects funded by the UK Department for International Development, The UK Meningitis Research Foundation, NASA, the Environmental Health Project of USAID, The UK Medical Reseaerch Council, The World Health Organisation, The African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control, the European Union and Google.org. She joined the IRI in May 2002.

Webcast

http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/B-SPAN/sub_forecasting_elnino.htm

Published Papers and Books

Book:

Seasonal Forecasts, Climatic Change and Human Health: Health and Climate in Advances in Global Change Research.Eds. Madeleine C. Thomson, Ricardo Garcia Herrera and M. Beniston. Springer Springer; 1 edition (April 28, 2008)

Thomson, M.C. (1995). Disease prevention through vector control: guidelines for relief organisations. OXFAM Practical Guide No. 10. 127p

Papers in peer reviewed journals:

2008

Worrall, E., Connor, S.J., and Thomson, M.C. (2008). Improving the cost-effectiveness of IRS with climate informed health surveillance systems Malaria Journal 2008, 7:263doi:10.1186/1475-2875-7-263

Kelly-Hope, L. and Thomson, M.C. (2008) Climate and infectious diseases. In, Seasonal Forecasts, Climatic Change and Human Health (Advances in Global Change Research) Eds M.C. Thomson, R.G Herrera and M. Beniston, Springer 31-70.

Cuevas, L., Hart, C.A., and Thomson M.C. (2008) Climate and environmental information and the control of epidemic meningitis in Africa. In, Seasonal Forecasts, Climatic Change and Human Health Eds M.C. Thomson, R.G Herrera and M. Beniston, Springer 85-100.

Ruiz, D., Connor, S.J., and Thomson, M.C. (2008) A Multi-Malaria-Model Ensemble Framework in Support of Malaria Early Warning and Control. In Seasonal Forecasts, Climatic Change and Human Health. (Advances in Global Change Research) Eds M.C. Thomson, R.G Herrera and M. Beniston, Springer, 101-126

Thomson, M.C., Connor, S.J.,, and Menne B. (2008) Recent Developments and Next Steps in Seasonal Forecasting and Health. In Seasonal Forecasts, Climatic Change and Human Health Advances in Global Change Research. Eds M.C. Thomson, R.G Herrera and M. Beniston, Springer, 101-126

Thomson, M.C. (2008) Comment in response to Diggle, Craincreau and Journal of the American Statistics Association

Graves, P.M., Osgood, D.E., Thomson, M.C., Sereke, K., Araia, A., WeldeMicael, A., Zerom, M., Ceccato, P., Bell, M., del Corral, J., Ghebreselassie, S., Brantly, E.P., and Ghebremeskel. T.(2008) Effectiveness of malaria control in Eritrea, 1998 to 2003. Tropical Medicine and International Health 13, (2) 218-228

2007

Diggle, P.J., Thomson, M.C., Christensen, O.F, Rowlingson, B., , Obsomer, V., Gardon, J., Wanji, S., Takougang, I, Enyong, P., Kamgno, J., Remme, J.H., Boussinesq, M., and Molyneux, D.H. (2007) Spatial modeling and prediction of Loa loa risk: decision making under uncertainty. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 101 (6): 499-509

Ceccato, P., Ghebremeskel, T., Jaiteh, M., Graves, P.M., Levy, M., Ghebreselassie, S., Ogbamariam, A., Barnston, A.G., Bell, M., Del Corral, J., Connor, S.J., Fesseha, I., Brantly, E.P. and Thomson, M.C. (2007) Malaria Stratification, climate and epidemic early warning in Eritrea. American Journal of Tropical Medicine 77(Suppl 6), 2007, pp. 61-68

Cuevas, L. E., Savory, E. C., Hart, C. A., Thomson, M. C.,Yassin, M. A. (2007) Effect of reactive vaccination on meningitis epidemics in Southern Ethiopia Journal of Infection 55 (5): 425-430

Diggle, P.J., Thomson, M.C., Christensen, O.F, Rowlingson, B., , Obsomer, V., Gardon, J., Wanji, S., Takougang, I, Enyong, P., Kamgno, J., Remme, J.H., Boussinesq, M., and Molyneux, D.H. (2007) Spatial modeling and prediction of Loa loa risk: decision making under uncertainty. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 101 (6): 499-509

Thomson M.C. Contributing Author in: Confalonieri, U., B. Menne, R. Akhtar, K.L. Ebi, M. Hauengue, R.S. Kovats, B. Revich and A. Woodward, 2007: Human health. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, Eds.,Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 391-431.

Cuevas, L.E., Jeanne, J., Molesworth, M., Bell, M., Savory, E.C., Connor, S.J., and Thomson M.C. (2007). Risk mapping and early warning systems for the control of meningitis in Africa Vaccine 25S (2007) A12–A17

DaSilva, J., Connor, S.J., Mason, S., and Thomson, M.C. Response to Cox and Abeku: Early warning systems for malaria in Africa: from blueprint to practice (2007). Trends in Parasitology 23 (6) 246-247

Macfarlane, S.B., Thomson, M.C. and AbouZahr, C.L. (2007) Millennium: invest in country statistical systems Nature 446, 974 (26 April 2007) | doi:10.1038/446974b;

Hellmuth, M.E., Moorhead, A., Thomson, M.C., and Williams, J. Eds. (2007). Climate Risk Management in Africa: Learning from Practice. International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), Columbia University, New York, USA.

Worrall, E., S.J. Connor and Thomson, M.C. (2007) A model to simulate the impact of timing, coverage and transmission intensity on effectiveness of indoor residual spraying (IRS) Tropical Medicine and International Health 12; (2) pp 1-14

2006

Thomson, M.C., Molesworth, A.M., Djingarey, M.H., Yameogo, K.R., Belanger, F., Cuevas. L.E. (2006) Potential of environmental models to predict meningitis epidemics in Africa. Tropical Medicine & International Health 11 (6) pp 773-780

Savory, E.C., Cuevas, L.E., Yassin, M.A., Hart, C.A., Molesworth, A.M., & Thomson, M.C. (2006) Evaluation of the meningitis epidemics risk model in Africa. Epidemiology & Infection Feb 14; 1- 13

Thomson, M. C., F. J. Doblas-Reyes, S. J. Mason, R. Hagedorn, S. J. Connor, T. Phindela, A. P. Morse, and T. N. Palmer, 2006: Malaria early warnings based on seasonal climate forecasts from multi-model ensembles. Nature, 439, 576-579.

Kelly-Hope, L.A., Diggle, P.J., Rowlingson, B.S., Gyapong, J.O., Kyelem, D., Coleman, M., Thomson, M.C., Obsomer, V., Lindsay, S.W., Hemingway, J., Molyneux, D.H., (2006) Negative spatial association between lymphatic filariasis and malaria in Africa. Tropical Medicine & International Health 11 (2), 129-135. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2005.01558.x

2005

Thomson, M. C., S. J. Mason, T. Phindela, and S. J. Connor, 2005: Use of rainfall and sea surface temperature monitoring for malaria early warning in Botswana. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 73, 214-221.

Thomson, M.C. (one of many lead authors) in Ecosystem Conditions and Human Well-being Volume 1. Current State and Trends: Findings of the Condition and Trends Working Group Chapter 5 (2005) Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Series Island Press, Washington, D.C.

Connor, S.J., & Thomson, M.C. (2005) Epidemic malaria: being better prepared for the unexpected, SciDevNet
http://www.scidev.net/dossiers/index.cfm?fuseaction=policybrief&dossier=23&policy=77

Thomson, M.C., Connor, S.J., Phindela, T., and Mason, S.J. (2005) Rainfall and Sea-Surface temperature monitoring for malaria early warning in Botswana. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 73(1), 214-221

Ceccato, P., Connor, S.J., Jeanne, I., and Thomson, M.C., (2005) Application of Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing in Malaria Risk 47 (1-2), 81-96 Parassitologia

2004

Thomson, M.C., Erickson, P.J., Ben Mohamed, & Connor, S.J. (2004). Land use change and infectious disease in West Africa. In Ecosystems and Land Use Change: (Eds) DeFries, R., Asner, G., and Houghton, R. Geophysical Monograph. American Geophysical Union. Washington, DC.

T.N. Palmer, U. Andersen, P. Cantelaube, M. Deque, F.J. Doblas-Reyes, H. Feddersen, R.Graham, S. Gualdi, J.-F Gueremy, R.Hagedorn, M. Hoshen, N. Keenlyside, A. Lazar, V. Marletto, A.P. Morse, B. Orfila, P. Rogel, J.-M. Terres, M.C. Thomson. (2004). Development of a European Ensemble System for Seasonal to Inter-Annual Prediction. Bulletin of the American Meteorology Society. 85,(6) 853-+

Thomson M.C. Connor, S.J., Ward, N., and Molyneux (2004). Climate variability and infectious disease in West Africa. Ecology and Health Vol 1, (2)138-150

Thomson, M.C., Obsomer, V., Kamgno, J., Gardon, J., Wanji, S., Takougang, I., Enyong, P., Remme, J.H., Molyneux, D.H., and Boussinesq, M. (2004). Mapping the distribution of Loa loa in Cameroon in support of the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control Filaria journal, (3)7,

2003

Molesworth, A.M. Cuevas, L.E. Connor, S.J. Morse, A.P. and Thomson. M.C. (2003). Environmental risk and meningitis epidemics in Africa. Emerging infectious diseases. 9, 10.

Thomson, M.C., Indeje, M., Connor, S.J., Dilley, M. & Ward, N. (2003). Malaria early warning in Kenya and seasonal climate forecasts The Lancet, (Letter). 362, 580

Thomson, M.C., Abayonmi, K., Barnston, T., Levy, M., & Dilley, M. (2003) El NiȘo and drought in southern Africa. The Lancet, (Letter) 361, 437-438

Elnaiem D., Obsomer, V. Bendall, A. Schorcher, J. Osman, M.E., Mekkawi, A.M. Connor, S.J., Ashford, R.W. and Thomson, M.C. (2003). Risk mapping of visceral leishmaniasis: The role of local variations in rainfall and altitude on the presence and incidence of kala azar in eastern Sudan. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 68, (1) 10-17

2002

Gyapong, J.O., Kyelem, D., Kleinschmidt, I., Agbo, K. Ahouandogbo, F., Gaba. J., Owusu-Banahene, G., Sanou, S., Sodahlon, Y.K., Biswas, G., Kale, O.O., Molyneux, D.H. Roungou, J.B., Thomson, M.C. & Remme, J (2002). The use of spatial analysis in mapping the distribution of bancroftian filariasis in four West African countries. Annals of Tropical Medicine 96 (7): 695-705

Thomson, M.C. (2002). Paludisme: interactions hȳte-parasite et dȨveloppement de systemes d'alertes prȨcoces. Environnement, Risques & Sante. Vol. 1. No. Special Juillet, 2002.

Diggle, P., Moyeed, R., Rawlingson, B. & Thomson, M. (2002). Childhood Malaria in the Gambia: A case study in model-based geostatistics. Applied Statistics 51 Part 4 493-506

Molesworth, A.M. Thomson, M.C. Connor, S.J. Cresswell, M.C. Morse, AP. Shears, P. Hart, C.A. Cuevas, L.E. (2002). Where is the Meningitis Belt? Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 96, 242-249

Ross, S.G., Thomson, M.C., & Pultz, T. (2002) RADARSAT-1 for Monitoring Vector-borne Diseases in Tropical Environments: A Review, Asian Journal of Geoinformatics, Special issue on Tropical Environments, 69-77

Molesworth, A., Cuevas, L., Morse, A.P., Herman J.R. & Thomson, M.C. (2002). Dust clouds implicated in spread of infection. The Lancet (Letter) 359 No. 9300, 81-82.

2001

Thomson M.C., and Connor, S.J. (2001). The development of malaria early warning systems for Africa. Trends in Parasitology 17, 9. 438-445

Thomson M.C., and Connor, S.J. (2001) Malaria Early Warning Systems for Africa Trends in Parasitology (Poster).

Molesworth A.M., Djingary M.H., Thomson M.C. (2001) Seasonality of meningococcal disease in Niger, West Africa: a preliminary investigation. Proceedings GEOMED 1999 92-97 .Eds. A. Flahault, L. Toubiana and A.J. Valleron. Elsevier: Paris.

Thomson, M.C., Connor, S.J., Savage, E., O?Niell, K., and Nuttall, I. (2001) Environmental information systems for multi-disease surveillance and epidemic prediction. In: Geographiy and Medicine, GEOMED1999 pp.120-128. Eds. A. Flahault, L. Toubiana and A.J. Valleron. Elsevier: Paris.

2000

Thomson, M.C., Obsomer, V. Dunne, M. Connor, S.J. & Molyneux, D.H. (2000). Satellite mapping of Loa Loa prevalence in relation to ivermectin use in west and central Africa. The Lancet 356, (9235) 1077 - 1078 Volume 356, Number 9235, 23 September 2000

Thomson, M.C., & Connor, S.J. (2000) Environmental information systems for the control of arthropod vectors of disease Medical and Veterinary Entomology 14, 3, 227-244

Savage, E., Thomson, M.C., & Brabin, B.J. (2000). An evaluation of a birthweight normogram as an indicator of malaria transmission intensity based on satellite-derived environmental variables. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Abs). 94, 154

Thomson, M.C., Palmer, T., Morse, A.P. Cresswell, M. & Connor, S.J. (2000) Forecasting disease risk using seasonal climate predictions. The Lancet. (Letter) 355, 1559-1560

Thomson, M.C., Connor, S.J. O'Niell K., and Meert, J.P. (2000) Environmental Information for epidemic prediction. Parasitology Today 16, (4) 137-138.

1999

Connor, S.J., M.C. Thomson (1999). Mapping malaria in Africa. Postgraduate Doctor. 21, 3. 46-52.

Connor, S.J., M.C. Thomson D.H. Molyneux. (1999) Forecasting and prevention of epidemic malaria: new perspectives on an old problem. Parassitologia 41, 439-448

Thomson, M.C., Connor, S.J., Rowlingson, B., Diggle, P., Cresswell, M. & Greenwood, B.M (1999). Predicting malaria infection in Gambian children from satellite data and bednet usage: the importance of spatial dependence in the interpretation of results. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.61 (1) 2-8

Cresswell, M.P., Morse, A.P., Thomson, M.C., & Connor, S.J. (1999). Estimating surface air temperatures from Meteosat land surface temperatures using an empirical solar zenith angle model. International Journal of Remote Sensing. 20 (6) 1125-1132

Thomson, M.C., Elnaiem, D., Connor, S.J., and Ashford, R.W. (1999). Towards a kala azar risk map of Sudan: mapping the potential distribution of Phlebotomus orientalis using digital datda of environmental variables. Tropical Medicine and International Health. 4 (2) 105-113

1998

Elnaiem, D.A., Connor, S.J., Thomson, M.C., Mukhtar, M., Hassan, H.K., Aboud, M.A. and Ashford, R.W. (1998) Environmental determinants of the distribution of Phlebotomus orientalis in Sudan: The ecology of the sampling sites. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology. 92 (8) 877-887

Quinones, M.L., Lines, J.D., Thomson, M.C., Jawara, M., & Greenwood, B.M. (1998). Permethrin impregnated bednets do not have a 'mass effect' on village populations of Anopheles gambiae in the Gambia. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 92, 373-378

Connor, S.J., Flasse, S., Perryman, A., & Thomson, M.C.(1998). Environmental information systems; can they help improve malaria risk mapping and forecasting of epidemics? Disasters 22 (1) 39:56

1997

Thomson, M.C., Connor, S.J., Milligan, P.J.W., & Flasse, S. (1997). Mapping malaria risk in Africa - what can satellite data contribute? Parasitology Today. 8, 313-318

Quinones, M.L., Lines, J., Thomson, M.C., Jawara, M., Morris, J., & Greenwood, B.M. (1997). Anopheles gambiae gonotrophic cycle duration, biting and exiting behaviour unaffected by permethrin impregnated bednets in The Gambia. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. 11, (1) 71-78

1996

Hogg, J.C., Thomson, M.C., and Hurd, H. (1996). Comparisons between blood-meal size, body size and fecundity of Anopheles gambiae s.s. and An.arabiensis occurring sympatrically in The Gambia. Medical and Veterinary Entomology 10, 385-391

Thomson, M.C., Connor, S.J., Milligan, P.J.W., & Flasse, S. (1996). The ecology of malaria - as seen from earth observation satellites. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 243-264

Thomson, M.C., Connor, S.J., D'Alessandro, U., Bennett, S., Milligan, P., Aikins, M.K., Langerock, P., Jawara, M., & Greenwood, B.M. (1996). Geographical perspectives on bednet use and malaria transmission in The Gambia. Social Science and Medicine .43, (1) 101-112

McGuire, W., D'Alessandro, U., Olaleye, B.O., Thomson, M.C., Langerock, P., Greenwood, B.M. & Kwiatkowski, D. (1996). C-reactive protein and haptoglobin in the evaluation of a community based malaria control programme. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 90, (1) 10-14

Thomson, M.C., Davies, J.B., Post, R., Bockarie, M.J., Beech-Garwood, P.A., & Kandeh, J.E. (1996) The unusual occurrence of savanna members of the Simulium damnosum species complex in Southern Sierra Leone in 1988. Bulletin of Entomological Research. 86, 271-280

1995

D'Alessandro, U., Olaleye, B., McGuire, W., Thomson, M.C., Langerock, P., Bennet, S. and Greenwood, B.M. (1995). A comparison of the efficacy of insecticide-treated and untreated bednets in preventing malaria in Gambian children. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 89, 596-598

Thomson, M.C., Connor, S.J., Quinones, M., Jawara, M., Todd, J., & Greenwood B.M. (1995) Movement of Anopheles gambiae complex malaria vectors between villages in The Gambia. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. 9, (4) 413-419.

D'Alessandro, U., Olaleye, B., McGuire, W., Bennet, S., Langerock, P., Aikins, M.K., Thomson, M.C., Cham, M.K., Cham, B.A. and Greenwood, B.M. (1995). Reduction in mortality and in morbidity from malaria in Gambian children following the introduction of a National Insecticide Impregnated Bednet Programme. The Lancet. 345 479-483

Thomson, M.C., Adiamah, J. H., Connor, S.J., Jawara, M., Bennett, S., D'Alessandro, U., Quinones, M., Langerock, P., & Greenwood (1995) Entomological evaluation of the the Gambia's National Impregnated Bednet Programme. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 89, (3) 229-241.

1994

Thomson, M.C., D'Alessandro, U., Bennett, S., Connor, S.J., Langerock, P., Jawara, M., Todd, J., and Greenwood B.M. (1994). Malaria prevalence is inversely related to vector density in The Gambia, West Africa. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 88, 638-643