Dr James Wood is an applied mathematician with interests across a broad range from evolutionary and immunological processes to cost-effectiveness evaluations for disease interventions. He completed his honours degree and PhD at the University of Queensland (both in mathematical physics). His primary application area is respiratory viruses and vaccine preventable diseases but he also has interests in tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections.

He has published over 80 papers in international journals, focussing on the impact and cost-effectiveness of vaccines on epidemiology, along with research related disease elimination and parameter estimation (particularly for measles). Since 2020 he has been heavily involved in state and national responses to COVID-19 as well some WHO work in support of responses in the Philippines and Malaysia. His current primary interests are  in integrating genetic and immunologic elements into epidemiological models to account for trends in pathogen resistance and population immunity, with applications to infections such as COVID-19, influenza and gonorrhea.

Current funded projects: 

James is lead investigator on COVID-19 modelling contracts with NSW Health and an investigator on contracts with the federal department of health and WHO led by University of Melbourne and the Doherty Institute respectively.

James is a CI on a large NHMRC funded community-wide wide trial of screening and treatment in Vietnam led by Professor Guy Marks.

Potential research students: Students or potential fellowship candidates with a strong quantitative background and interest in population dynamics of infectious diseases should contact me by email (james.wood@unsw.edu.au). My specific areas of focus at present are:

Estimating the effects of COVID-19 interventions on transmission

The role of different venue types in transmission of respiratory infections

Efficient surveillance for evolving respiratory infections

Utility of contact tracing augmented by genotyping/genomics for outbreak management