Usher Institute inaugural lecture showcase September 2026

Join us for an inaugural lecture showcase from the Usher Institute. 

With:

• Professor Katie Atkins, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Professor Evropi Theodoratou, Professor of Cancer Epidemiology and Global Health

Katherine Atkins is Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh's Usher Institute. An evolutionary epidemiologist, she studies how infections spread through populations, how they adapt to the interventions we deploy against them, and how they can best be controlled. Her research combines mathematical modelling with a range of data to address some of the most pressing challenges in public health, including HIV, antimicrobial resistance, and the design of vaccination programmes, with the aim of informing policy and practice.

This talk will explore how mathematical models, integrated with epidemiological and genomic data, can uncover the transmission dynamics and evolutionary pressures that shape infectious disease. As transmission and evolution largely unfold unobserved, I will discuss how quantifying them can inform the design and evaluation of interventions, from individual exposure to population-level control.

Evi Theodoratou is Professor of Cancer Epidemiology and Global Health at the University of Edinburgh's Usher Institute. Her research sits at the intersection of epidemiology, data science and evidence synthesis, with the overarching aim of improving population health through better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. Evi studied at both the University of Thessaloniki and Linköping University before subsequently moving to Scotland to undertake a PhD in Cancer Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, where she has built her academic career.

This lecture will discuss about Professor Evi Theodoratou’s initial studies in Biology and Medical Biology and how these led to further studies in Epidemiology. Following this, Evi will provide research examples explaining how she moved from the single exposure - single outcome framework to a framework of multiple exposures - multiple outcomes. Evi will also briefly discuss the evidence synthesis work she is leading through UNCOVER and its policy and capacity building impacts.

17.00 - 18.30 | Inaugural lectures

18.30 - 19.30 | Drinks reception