Congrats, Medical Entomologist and Humanitarian Thomas Scott – Bug Squad

Medical entomologist Thomas Scott

Congratulations to UC Davis medical entomologist and humanitarian Thomas W. Scott, chosen as one of many world’s Extremely Cited Researchers for the third consecutive yr.

It is effectively deserved!

Scott, a UC Davis distinguished professor who formally retired in 2015, is internationally recognized for his work on the ecology and epidemiology of dengue, a mosquito-borne viral an infection transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti. 

Just one p.c of researchers make the worldwide checklist of Extremely Recited Researchers, as introduced by Clarivate. The Internet of Science Group, the knowledge and expertise supplier for the worldwide scientific analysis group, yearly honors the 1 p.c of scientists whose publications are probably the most cited in scientific papers.

“Of the world’s scientists and social scientists, Extremely Cited Researchers really are one in 1,000,” in response to the Internet of Science web site.

Scott is one in every of 14 researchers from UC Davis–and one in every of some 6660 worldwide–to obtain the 2021 honor.

Scott’s 19 publications listed within the report have been cited a complete of 402 instances. His most cited publication: “The Present and Future International Distribution and Inhabitants at Threat of Dengue,” printed in Nature Microbiology in 2019. 

“Being a Extremely Cited Researcher means so much to me as a result of it is an goal measure of the extent to which the scientific group finds useful the work that my colleagues and I did,” mentioned Scott, who joined the UC Davis Division of Entomology (now the Division of Entomology and Nematology) in 1996. “ I used to be privileged to work with exceptionally good, hard-working, and insightful individuals. We had plenty of enjoyable, however we additionally took our science severely. We challenged one another in constructive and collegial methods. We’re pleased with the outcomes of our efforts.” 

A avenue scene in Iquitos, Peru, a metropolis the place UC Davis medical entomologist Thomas Scott labored.

“As a result of I take pleasure in it, I’m persevering with to discover science and public well being,” Scott mentioned. “Presently, I’m concerned in quite a lot of actions that vary from writing manuscripts to kicking off new research to serving on scientific and public well being coverage tasks and committees. “

Wholesome Cites, Wholesome Individuals. Scott co-chairs a Lancet Fee that focuses on how prevention of viruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes suits into the rising Wholesome Cities, Wholesome Individualsmotion. Lancet Commissions are tasked with figuring out probably the most urgent points in science, drugs, and international well being, with the goal of offering suggestions that change well being coverage or enhance apply. “On this case, we’re making the case for Cities with out Aedes,” Scott mentioned. “We goal to scale back the burden and risk from Aedes transmitted viruses by means of improved building and administration of contemporary city environments that construct Aedes mosquitoes out of cities and cities.” 

Scott is a collaborator in a medical trial designed to exhibit and quantify the protecting efficacy of a spatial repellent to scale back human mosquito transmitted virus an infection in Sri Lanka. “This new mission,” he mentioned, “builds on a randomized managed medical trial that my colleagues I just lately accomplished in Iquitos, Peru, which revealed a big protecting efficacy of a spatial repellent towards human an infection. Publication of these outcomes a at present underneath evaluate.” 

“Along with the medical trial, my colleagues and I are publishing a sequence of papers from Iquitos that look at the position of individuals with in-apparent and gentle infections in virus transmission. By accounting for elements underlying variation in every particular person’s contribution to transmission we will higher decide the sort and extent of effort wanted to stop illness.” 

Scott’s different actions embody being a scientific advisor for a medical trial in Brazil that’s testing the general public well being good thing about Wolbachia for prevention of viruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. “The examine will assess the efficacy of releasing Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti into the atmosphere in decreasing human virus an infection in comparison with normal vector management measures alone,” he mentioned. 

Scott serves on three World Well being Group committees, “which I discover significantly rewarding due to their potential to enhance public well being coverage and thus international well being.” 

Amongst his different actions: 

• Chair of a bunch that’s writing a chapter on Dengue Vector Management Pointers that can be included within the up to date model of WHO pointers for dengue prognosis, remedy, prevention, and management. 
• Co-chair of the Wolbachia Proof Overview Group. “Mosquitoes contaminated with the endosymbionic micro organism Wolbachia are designed to have lowered capability to turn into contaminated with and transmit quite a lot of viruses, which is anticipated to scale back human illness,” Scott explains. “Outcomes from our deliberations will assist the World Well being Group to develop pointers for member States on the applying of this thrilling new intervention technique.”
• Member of the World Well being Group Technical Advisory Group on the International Built-in Arboviruses Initiative. The Arbovirus Initiative focuses on strengthening the coordination, communication, capability constructing,analysis, preparedness, and response wanted to mitigate the rising danger of epidemics on account of arthropod transmitted viral illnesses. Scott describes it as “a collaborative effort between the World Well being Emergency Program, the Division of Management of Uncared for Tropical Ailments, and the Immunization, Vaccines, and Organic Division at WHO. Members of the Technical Advisory Group have a broad vary of experience (medical administration, diagnostics, epidemiology, vector management, virology, vaccines, and journey drugs) and serve in an advisory capability to WHO with a concentrate on important and strategic steerage on administration of illness. Our present focus is finalizing the International Built-in Arboviruses Initiative, which can be offered to the World Well being Meeting for evaluate and approval.”

Difficult and Rewarding. “I’m enthusiastic about and luxuriate in all these actions,” the medical entomologist commented. “They’re difficult and rewarding extensions of the work I’ve executed for that previous 40 years.”