Science Committee

Dr Simon Croft (Chair), National Wildlife Management Centre, APHA, UK

Dr Simon Croft is a Senior Epidemiological Modeller at the National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

His research focuses on quantitative ecology and disease modelling, with particular expertise in spatial and population models used to understand wildlife distribution, disease risk, and the impacts of management interventions.

His work supports evidence-based decision-making in wildlife disease surveillance, invasive species management, and conservation, helping to inform policy and operational responses to complex wildlife health challenges. Simon Croft - Google scholar

Professor Graham Smith, National Wildlife Management Centre, APHA, UK

Professor Graham Smith is Lead Scientist for Wildlife at the National Wildlife Management Centre, APHA, and one of the UK's leading wildlife disease modellers.

Over a career spanning four decades, he has made major contributions to the modelling and management of rabies, bovine tuberculosis and wildlife populations. He previously led the Modelling Workstream of the WOAH Collaborating Centre for Risk Analysis and Modelling and continues to play a prominent role in international wildlife health initiatives, including ENETWILD and several European animal health projects.

He is also a trustee of MammalWeb, a citizen science platform supporting wildlife monitoring and research. Graham Smith - APHA blog ; Graham Smith - MammalWeb science advisory committee

Professor Julian Drewe, Royal Veterinary College, UK

Professor Julian Drewe is Professor of Veterinary Epidemiological Surveillance at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London.

His research focuses on improving surveillance systems and understanding the transmission of infectious diseases at the wildlife, livestock and human interface. He has made important contributions to the epidemiology and control of diseases including bovine tuberculosis and African swine fever, combining field studies, surveillance data and modelling approaches to support evidence-based disease management.

He is an RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Epidemiology, a European Veterinary Specialist in Wildlife Population Health, and previously served on the European Food Safety Authority's Animal Health and Welfare Panel. Julian Drewe - Royal Veterinary College  

Professor Rowland Kao, University of Edinburgh, UK

Professor Rowland Kao is Chair of Veterinary Epidemiology and Data Science at the University of Edinburgh and Chair of Defra's Science Advisory Council.

An internationally recognised mathematical epidemiologist, he has pioneered the application of network analysis, complexity science and genomic epidemiology to the study of infectious disease transmission in wildlife, livestock and human populations.

His influential work on bovine tuberculosis, livestock movement networks and disease surveillance has advanced understanding of pathogen transmission dynamics and informed disease control policy in the UK and internationally. Rowland Kao | People gov.uk; Rowland Kao | University of Edinburgh Research Explorer

Dr Kim Pepin, National Wildlife Research Centre, APHIS-USDA, USA

Dr Kim Pepin leads the Wildlife Disease Ecology, Management and Preparedness Project at the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's National Wildlife Research Centre. A quantitative disease ecologist, she develops predictive modelling tools to support decision-making in One Health contexts, with a particular focus on wildlife disease transmission, surveillance and control. Her research spans a range of high-profile diseases, including African swine fever, avian influenza, rabies, bovine tuberculosis, chronic wasting disease and SARS-CoV-2. Through close collaboration with policymakers and wildlife managers, she has helped advance approaches to disease preparedness, risk assessment and management, publishing more than 140 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Kim Pepin - APHIS, USDA

Dr Hans-Hermann Thulke, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Germany

Dr Hans-Hermann Thulke is a senior scientist at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Germany, where he leads the Ecological Epidemiology Lab. Trained as both a mathematician and biologist, he is internationally recognised for developing epidemiological models that support wildlife disease management and policy. His work has been particularly influential in improving understanding of the spread and control of rabies and African swine fever across Europe, providing evidence that has informed national and international disease management strategies. Through interdisciplinary collaborations, he has advanced the use of management-oriented simulation models that integrate wildlife ecology, livestock systems and human behaviour to improve disease preparedness and control. Hans-Hermann Thulke - Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research

Dr Alastair Ward, University of Leeds, UK

Dr Alastair Ward is Associate Professor of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management at the University of Leeds. His career spans academia, government science and applied wildlife management, including senior leadership roles within APHA's National Wildlife Management Centre and as Research and Operations Director of the Deer Initiative.

His research combines wildlife ecology, epidemiology and quantitative modelling to address challenges in wildlife conservation, population management and disease control. Drawing on extensive experience across research, policy and management settings, he has contributed to the evidence base underpinning wildlife health, biosecurity and disease risk assessment in the UK. Alastair Ward - Faculty of Biological Sciences,  University of Leeds