Project Description:
One of the primary agents of food contamination is Salmonella, caused by the Salmonella bacterium, posing a significant burden of disease both globally and in the United Kingdom . The reproduction of the Salmonella bacterium is partly controlled by climatic conditions, creating a link between food safety and meteorological conditions. In the context of the already observed climatic changes, it is crucial to quantify the link between Salmonella occurrence and climatic conditions to optimally identify and mitigate the risk of Salmonella infections in the future. A key challenge for investigating the links between climatic conditions and Salmonella occurrence is the availability of suitable datasets that record the occurrence of reported Salmonella infections. The purpose of this Research Experience Placement is to assist in exploring one such dataset from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and characterising the spatiotemporal properties of the Salmonella data.
The student will work within the University of Leeds Ambrosia group, operating under the Institute of Climate and Atmospheric Science, School of Earth and Environment. The aim of the Ambrosia project is to quantitatively assess the impacts of climate and climate change on food safety across Europe. For this, we invite an enthusiastic and creative student to participate in our effort!
The data will be acquired from the open-access Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and will be comprised of georeferenced Salmonella records of all available Salmonella species. The data will be categorized by region and by year of reporting.
The prospect student will apply methods of exploratory statistical and geostatistical analysis, with the purpose to statistically describe the available Salmonella datasets. Furthermore, time-series analysis will be applied to characterize the temporal characteristics of the available data (i.e trends, seasonality). Moreover, the spatial attributes of the Salmonella datasets will be investigated through point pattern analysis and the use of spatial autocorrelation indices.
The student will participate in the Ambrosia project meetings and will be able to present and discuss their results with scientists from the fields of climate science and food microbiology. The results of this 7-week project will be used by the University of Leeds Ambrosia group to further develop their methodological approach. The student will acquire significant knowledge on computer programming and statistical and geostatistical analysis, develop communication skills with scientists from various fields and obtain a hands-on experience on data-handling of real-world concerns, such as food-borne diseases.
The results of the project can be potentially presented in a relevant conference, such as the Scenarios Forum (16-18 July, Leeds).
Pre-requisites
Experience of R/python programming and QGIS
Supervisory Team
Maria Karypidou
Amanda Maycock
Contact
Maria Karypidou: m.karypidou@leeds.ac.uk
How to apply
- Complete the online REP application form one for each project of interest.
- Email a copy of your CV to yes-dtn@leeds.ac.uk (only once is needed).
- Complete the EDI Form (only one is needed). Although this is optional, if places are over-subscribed, preference will be given to under-represented groups, as defined above.