Natacha is particularly interested in operational research that will help countries to take sound decisions on vector control strategy that is based on scientific evidence. She has spent the last 15 years implementing large scale entomological and parasitological trials evaluating malaria vector control interventions. She joined LSHTM in 2011 and is currently based in Mwanza, (Tanzania) managing randomized control trial investigating the impact of vector control tools on vector outcomes and malaria transmission. She is also involved in the evaluation of a new type of long lasting insecticide nets for the control of resistant malaria vectors.
Natacha’s background is in biochemistry and she undertook a master in environmental sciences and water management. This led her to work with Médecins Sans Frontière as a water and sanitation officer and manage her first malaria vector control project. She spent several years in Burundi managing Indoor Residual Spray campaigns and insecticide treated nets distributions and evaluating the impact of these interventions on vector abundance and malaria prevalence. She completed a PhD in 2008 with the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp Belgium which investigated the impact of targeted vector control on malaria transmission in the African highlands.
In 2009 she joined the Malaria Consortium as vector control specialist supporting the Uganda, South Sudan, Senegal and Ghana National Malaria Control Programmes to establish their malaria vector control strategy and net distribution systems. She was involved in research to evaluate the durability of LLIN in phase III trials in Uganda. With the vector control division of the Ugandan NMCP she established insecticide resistance susceptibility monitoring in sentinel sites throughout Uganda.
Currently Natacha is working on several PAMVERC phase III trials, evaluating new generation LLINs.