Dr. Lea Berrang Ford

Contact:

Assistant Professor, Health Geography
Department of Geography
McGill University
805 Sherbrooke Street West,
Montreal, QC H3A 2K6
Canada
Telphone: +1 (514) 398-4944
Email: Lea.BerrangFord@Mcgill.ca

NDVI change, 1986-95 in SE Uganda

Cruise travel density on the west coast of North America

Dr. Lea Berrang Ford is an Assistant Professor (Health Geography) in the Department of Geography at McGill Univerity, Montreal (Canada). Dr. Berrang Ford is both a geographer and an epidemiologist, specializing in spatial health analysis of infectious disease and environmental change. Prior to joining McGill, Lea worked with the Public Health Agency of Canada in Saint Hyacinthe (QC) as an environmental epidemiologist and medical geographer, specializing in spatial health analysis, vector-borne zoonotic disease mapping, and environmental health research.

Click here to view full CV

Click here to view research photos from East Africa

Click here to view Arctic research photos from Nunavik (QC)

Areas of Specialization

Health geography, specializing in the areas of infectious disease, environmental change, ecosystem health, and spatial and quantitative tools for health analysis.

1. Emerging infectious diseases, environmental change and global health
2. Eco health and environmental systems analysis
3. Spatial statistics, GIS, Remote Sensing, and Epidemiologic analysis for health research
4. Geography and health in Africa

PhD Epidemiology (2006) Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Canada and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya (Graduate Fellow). Topic of research: Temporal and spatial analysis of sleeping sickness spread in Uganda from 1970-2003, and the role of civil conflict and environmental change in disease risk.

MSc Environmental Change and Management (2001), Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, UK

BSc (Env) (Geography) (2000), Department of Geography, University of Guelph, Canada

GEOG 202 (Winter) Statistics and Spatial Analysis

GEOG 303 (Winter) Health Geography

Environmental change and vector-borne disease risk in Canada: Research, including mapping and modelling, of the impacts of climatic and environmental changes on vector-borne and infectious diseases in Canada, in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada. Current project proposal: climate change and malaria risk in Canada.

Targetting and structuring sleeping sickness prevention and control in Uganda: This research focuses on 1) identifying high-priority areas of emerging sleeping sickness risk in Uganda using GIS, remote sensing, and field data collection tools, and 2) Identifying constraints, incentives and opportunities for community-based sleepinging sickness prevention and control activities in Ugandan villages.

Tools for mapping and spatial analysis of public health data: Development of a web-based secure server application for spatial and sequential mapping of public health surveillance data (2006 - ongoing). Funded by GeoConnections (www.geoconnections.org).

Student opportunities: I am not currently taking new students. Opportunities may be available beginning in September 2008.

Previous Projects

Spatial and temporal epidemiology of sleeping sickness in SE Uganda: Doctoral work on the spatial and temporal determinants of sleeping sickness in south-eastern Uganda, in association with the International Livestock Research Institute (Nairobi, Kenya) and University of Guelph (Canada) (2002 - 2006).

Understanding Norovirus transmission on Canada's West Coast: Study of Norovirus transmission on the west coast, in conjunction with the Public Health Agency of Canada, FWZI Division (2004 - 2006).

Livelihoods and Ecosystems International Workshop Series - CIDA: Workshop facilitation & development, with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the University of Guelph (2005).

Public perceptions of climate change impacts on human health in the UK: Masters thesis in Environmental Change and Management, University of Oxford, UK (2000 - 2001).

Water on Mars? Aerial photo interpretation of Martian fluvial features: Aerial photography interpretation, in association with the University of Oxford Department of Geography and NASA (2001).

Watershed health and community management in the Hagan Creek-Kennes Watershed, Sidney, BC: Community watershed project facilitation, in association with the Institute of Ocean Sciences (Sidney, BC), and the Eco-research Chair of Environmental Law and Policy, University of Victoria (1998 - 1999).

Awards

• Visiting scientist, Norwegian School of Veterinary Sciences (2006) - approx. $6,000
• 1st place doctoral presentation, Ontario Veterinary College, U. of Guelph (2006)
• International Development Research Centre, Doctoral Research Award (2004) - $20,000
• Nat. Science and Eng. Research Council of Canada PGS-B Graduate Award (2004) - $21,000
• Arthur D. Latornell Graduate Scholarship, U. of Guelph (2003) - $5000
• Arthur D. Latornell Graduate Travel Grant, U. of Guelph (2003) - $1000
• Nat. Science and Eng. Research Council of Canada PGS-A graduate award (2002) - $19,000
• University of Oxford, Degree with distinction (2001)
• University of Guelph, Degree with distinction (2000)
• Arthur D. Latornell Travel Grant, U. of Guelph (1999) - $1000
• Geography Alumni Scholarship, U. of Guelph (top Geographer in cohort) (1998)

Selected Publications

Berrang-Ford, L., O. Berke, L. Abdelrahman, D. Waltner-Toews, and J. McDermott (2006) Spatial analysis of sleeping sickness, South-eastern Uganda, 1970-2003. Emerging Infectious Diseases 12(5):813-20. Click here to view abstract.

Berrang-Ford, L., D. Waltner-Toews, D. Charron, M. Odiit, J. McDermott, and B. Smit (2005) Sleeping sickness in southeastern Uganda: a systems approach. EcoHealth 2(3):1-12. Click here to view abstract.

Berrang-Ford, L., M. Odiit, F. Maiso, D. Waltner-Toews, and J. McDermott (In press) Sleeping sickness in Uganda: revisiting historical distributions, 1905-1920. African Health Sciences. Click here to view abstract.

Berrang-Ford (In press) Civil conflict and sleeping sickness in Africa in general and Uganda in particular. Conflict and Health. Click here to view abstract.

Berrang-Ford, L., J. Ford, B. Smit, D. Waltner-Toews, and J. McDermott (In review) Conceptualizing disease risk in space and time: sleeping sickness in Uganda. The Canadian Geographer. Click here to view abstract.

Berrang-Ford, L., and D. Noble (In review) Climate change and health in Canadian municipalities. Environmental Health Review.

Book Contributions and Reports

Berrang, L. (2005) Atlas of sleeping sickness in Uganda, 1905-20 and 1970-2003. For Decision-support for trypanosomiasis and tsetse control in Uganda Workshop, Kampala, Uganda, 7-8 December 2005.

Berrang Ford, L. (2005) Strategic action framework: Norovirus transmission on the west coast. Public Health Agency of Canada, Foodborne, Waterborne and Zoonotic Infections Division.

Berrang, L. (2005) Land to Sea Norovirus Transmission on Canada's West Coast: A context Review. Public Health Agency of Canada, Foodborne, Waterborne and Zoonotic Infections Division.

Berrang, L. (2005) Land to Sea Norovirus Transmission on Canada's West Coast: Mapping of Cruise Ports and Passenger. Public Health Agency of Canada, Foodborne, Waterborne and Zoonotic Infections Division.

Berrang, L. (2005) HIV/AIDS, In 'Our Earth's Changing Land: An Encyclopedia of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change. Westport, CT, USA: Greenwood Press.

Berrang, L. (2005) Malaria, In 'Our Earth's Changing Land: An Encyclopedia of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change. Westport, CT, USA: Greenwood Press.

Berrang, L. (2005) African trypanosomiasis, In 'Our Earth's Changing Land: An Encyclopedia of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change. Westport, CT, USA: Greenwood Press.

Berrang, L. (2005) Watershed, In 'Our Earth's Changing Land: An Encyclopedia of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change. Westport, CT, USA: Greenwood Press.

Massawe, S., T. Robinson, T. Randolph, L. Berrang Ford, and J. Mugenyi (In press) Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Decision Support Atlas for Uganda. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI/ FAO.

Presentation, Posters, and Workshops

Visiting researcher presentation, "Spatial analysis and GIS for zoonotic disease research: sleeping sickness in Uganda," For the Epidemiology Centre, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo, Norway, 21 November 2006.

Visiting researcher presentation, "GIS and spatial analysis research and capacity at the Saint Hyacinthe Unit of the Public Health Agency of Canada," For the Epidemiology Centre, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo, Norway, 21 November 2006.

Visiting researcher presentation, "Spatial analysis and GIS for zoonotic disease research: sleeping sickness in Uganda," For the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway, 28 November 2006.

Visiting researcher presentation, "GIS and spatial analysis research and capacity at the Saint Hyacinthe Unit of the Public Health Agency of Canada," For the Epidemiology Centre, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo, Norway, 28 November 2006.

Panel presentation, "Climate change, health, and water-borne disease in Canadian communities", for the Panel Session 'Climate Change: the Elephant in the Room,' Water in the City Conference, Victoria, BC, 19 September (2006)

Panel presentation, "Ecosystem health and emerging infectious diseases", for the Sustainable Livelihoods and Ecosystem Health Conference, Guelph, Ontario, 6 June (2006)

Presentation, "Spatial and temporal analysis of sleeping sickness in south-eastern Uganda", Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics Student Conference, 9 June, Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Canada (2006)

Presentation, "Re-emergence of sleeping sickness in Uganda," Graduate Student Appreciation Day, 12 April 2006, Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Canada (2006)

Presentation, "Sleeping sickness in south-eastern Uganda, 1970-2003," Decision-support for trypanosomiasis and tsetse control in Uganda: research, policy implications, and the way forward - Workshop in Kampala, Uganda, 7-8 December (2005)

Workshop moderator, Bi-national Meeting: Norovirus Transmission Involving Cruiseships and Land-based Tourism, Victoria, Canada, 2-3 November. Public Health Agency of Canada (2005)

Seminar, "Spatial tools and wee beasties: using GIS, remote sensing, and spatial statistics to understand sleeping sickness in Uganda," University of Guelph (2005)

Workshop facilitator, Livelihoods and Ecosystems Workshop, Hull, Quebec Canada, 3 March. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the University of Guelph (2005)

Workshop facilitator, Livelihoods and Ecosystems Workshop, Guelph, Canada, 4 February. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the University of Guelph (2005)

Seminar, "Spatial and temporal analysis of sleeping sickness in SE Uganda," Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph (2005)

Presentation, "Land-sea Norovirus transmission on Canada's west coast," National Norovirus Meeting, Toronto, Canada, 19-20 January, 2005, Public Health Agency of Canada (2005)

Poster presentation, "The Unwelcome Passenger: Land to Sea Norovirus Transmission on Canada's West Coast" Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph: Isaacs, S., L. Berrang, J. McCormick, and W. Kolodziejczak. In association with McMaster University (2004)

Poster presentation, Berrang, L. and S. Calvin "Pesticide Use for West Nile Virus in Guelph," Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph (2003)

Seminar, "Environmental change and infectious disease," Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph (2003)

Poster presentation, Berrang, L. "Sleeping sickness in Uganda: Mapping Risk," Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph (2003)

Seminar, "Environmental change and infectious disease: sleeping sickness in Uganda," Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph: (2002)