Dr Steven White

Do remember to submit your abstract for the UK VBD Conference 2026!

Excruciating tropical disease can now be transmitted in most of Europe, study finds ‘Shocking’ data shows the climate crisis and invasive mosquitos mean chikungunya could spread in 29 countries

#JRSocInterface in @theguardian.com | Temperature-sensitive incubation, transmissibility and risk of Aedes albopictus-borne chikungunya virus in Europe: doi.org/10.1098/rsif...

Excruciating tropical disease can now be transmitted in most of Europe, study finds ‘Shocking’ data shows the climate crisis and invasive mosquitos mean chikungunya could spread in 29 countries

Excruciating tropical disease can now be transmitted in most of Europe, study finds

- ‘Shocking’ data shows the climate crisis and invasive mosquitos mean #chikungunya could spread in 29 countries

#climatecrisis
Story by me
www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

Chikungunya poses a greater health threat in Europe than previously thought because it can be spread at air temps as low as 13°C, a new study finds.

Researchers produced a risk map showing the threat of virus transmission, spread by the Asian tiger mosquito.

www.ceh.ac.uk/press/debili...

1/🧪

Panic as terrifying tropical disease nears UK borders The virus was first detected in 1952 in Tanzania and has historically been confined to tropical regions, where millions of infections occur each year.

I wouldn't say "panic", but...

www.express.co.uk/news/world/2...

Excruciating tropical disease can now be transmitted in most of Europe, study finds ‘Shocking’ data shows the climate crisis and invasive mosquitos mean chikungunya could spread in 29 countries

Worrying study by my UKCEH colleagues about human disease spread facilitated by climate change
www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

Two great 4y positions up for grabs with us and Ross working on his BBSRC MosquitoNI project, with collaborators in GB. Deadlines in a week (research fellow) and 2 weeks (RA). Lots of vector ecology and modelling but also looking at what viruses can we find in our 🦟!

Our new paper is now out on "Temperature-sensitive incubation, transmissibility and risk of Aedes albopictus-borne chikungunya virus in Europe". Chikungunya has a lower thermal threshold for transmission than previously thought, carrying a higher risk of outbreaks across Europe.

lnkd.in/g79PzgqJ

ohvbd 1.0.0 has now been released on CRAN!

This package should help those looking for VBD data by interfacing with vbdhub.org for searching, and the VectorByte trait and population dynamics databases for data download (alongside much more).

vbdhub.org/blog/ohvbd-c...

#rstats #vectorbyte #vbd

Open letter from Ian Chapman to research and innovation community UKRI Chief Executive outlines changes to UKRI investment approach, addressing concerns about research funding and the financial position of STFC.

Today, we're sharing an open letter from our Chief Executive, Professor Sir Ian Chapman, outlining changes to UKRI investment approach, and addressing concerns about research funding and the financial position of STFC. Read his letter here: www.ukri.org/news/open-le...

Save the Date!

Three UK research councils suspend funding opportunities Temporary block on grant applications by MRC, BBSRC and EPSRC heightens concerns over funding cuts

Three UK research councils suspend funding opportunities share.google/ev1p9HdC3xf8...

Or turning white vans orange?

New PhD Opportunity. We are advertising for a modeller to model the impacts of mosquito-borne disease in the Americas. The project is funded by The Leverhulme Trust via University of Glasgow, and supervised by Christina Cobbold, Dom Brass and myself. Deadline 6th March 2026.

t.ly/Z-tqt

Have you got a LinkedIn account?

Really looking forward to this meeting...

Is that a blue shotgun cartridge at the bottom of the photo?

🚀 New Launch: #VBD Hub Forum on Vector-Borne Diseases - a new space for researchers, public health professionals, clinicians, policymakers, and practitioners to connect and collaborate on #vector-borne diseases in the UK. 🦟🪰🕷️

👉 Join the conversation and introduce yourself: forum.vbdhub.org

New paper out!
We used structural equation modelling to quantify how deer affect Lyme disease hazard, both directly and indirectly via vegetation and rodents. doi.org/10.1016/j.tt...

#LymeDisease #DiseaseEcology #Ticks
@sbohvm.gla.ac.uk

We returned home from our Christmas holiday to find fascist flags all over our town.

📢 @ukhsa.bsky.social is #hiring for a Senior Medical #Entomologist position. Closing date 19 November 2025! 🦟🪰🕷️

apps.trac.jobs/job-advert/7...

Surveillance and control efficacy of the Bergerac, France, 2025 chikungunya outbreak The spread of the highly invasive mosquito, Aedes albopictus, across Europe, combined with climate change and human travel and trade, has led to new epidemic threats from mosquito-borne viruses, most ...

Our new paper on the outbreak of chikungunya in Bergerac, France, 2025.

@glacour.bsky.social, @bethpurse.bsky.social

@ukceh.bsky.social @iapetusdtp.bsky.social

www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

Ancient origin of an urban underground mosquito Understanding how life is adapting to urban environments represents an important challenge in evolutionary biology. In this work, we investigate a widely cited example of urban adaptation, Culex pipie...

A new genetic study in Science overturns the myth of the “London Underground Mosquito,” revealing that this common urban insect originated not below the cities of modern Europe, but in ancient Mediterranean civilizations more than a thousand years ago. https://scim.ag/43xWovB

Modelling vector control for Aedes-borne arboviruses

Are you interested in doing a PhD in modelling Aedes-borne disease control? We are offering a fully funded studentship at @ukceh.bsky.social , with @uofglasgow.bsky.social and ALTOPICTUS, via @iapetusdtp.bsky.social. Open to UK nationals and overseas students.

iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...

The @ukceh.bsky.social Annual PGR Showcase has begun! Loads of amazing science from our talented PhD students.

🚀 The 2nd SPHERE-PPL Annual Meeting is happening 14th Jan 2026 at The Alan Turing Institute.
Explore AI forecasting in Environmental Science, shape forecasting contests, and network!
📩 Register now: forms.gle/iy6jC3Xg3QrT...
🌍 Find out more: sphere-ppl.org/pages/Events...

UKHSA PhD Student Internships - Newton Gateway to Mathematics

Opportunity for UK based PhD students to spend 3 months in the Infectious Disease modelling team at UKHSA. It's a great chance to see how modelling is used in public health decision making. If your interested see below for more details:
gateway.newton.ac.uk/media/news/u...

Xylella keeps on spreading...

Modelling the Lodi, 2023 and Fano 2024, Italy Dengue Outbreaks: The Effects of Control Strategies and Environmental Extremes Autochthonous cases of dengue in Europe are increasing. In 2023 (Lodi province) and 2024 (Fano, Pesaro and Urbino province), Italy saw the largest modern dengue outbreaks to date. Public health measu....

This is the model working for DENV. I can't publicly share the CHIKV stuff yet. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....