Topic: Urbanisation and zoonotic risks in Senegal: what roles do co-infections and the immunity of rodent reservoirs play?
Dates: 1 October 2024 – 30 September 2027
CBGP supervisor: C. Diagne
University: University of Montpellier

Julia has been invited to carry out her PhD research, which is funded by ENS Lyon (CDSN). Her project forms part of ongoing research in Senegal aimed at providing science-based solutions to help mitigate zoonotic risks associated with rodents in a context of rapid urbanisation.

Her objectives will be (i) to analyse how the composition and distribution of rodent communities (reservoirs) vary with the degree of urbanisation, and (ii) to assess the relative influence of urbanisation and associated changes in rodent communities on different components of the pathobiome and the immune profile of the sampled rodents.

This project is based on a longitudinal study across eight sites selected to represent a mosaic of urban and rural habitats, defined according to human population density, type of infrastructure and land use. The thesis will draw on existing data, a structured network of CBGP partners and a secure funding environment for all activities.