Professor Felicity Cutts FMedSci

Professor Felicity Cutts, formally of the Initiative for Vaccine Research at the World Health Organisation is one of the foremost researchers in infectious disease epidemiology and international public health, having particularly noteworthy impact on the development of global vaccination strategy and policy through her research and influence in key national and international committees. An outstanding contribution to public health in developing countries has been Dr Cutts ability to deliver the Gambia Pneumococcal Vaccine Trial. This trial is internationally recognised as one of the most important pneumoccocal vaccine trials, which demonstrated that the vaccine resulted in a 16% reduction in mortality in children in rural Africa, where there is high childhood mortality and limited access to healthcare. The results hold great promise for improving health and saving lives in resource-poor populations. Dr Cutts has also been a pioneer in guiding global measles control strategies, which have more than halved measles mortality and has pushed for international recognition of the importance of Congenital Rubella Syndrome and the inclusion of rubella vaccine in measles elimination programmes.