Professional background

Qualified from Oxford in 1991, then trained in infectious diseases and tropical medicine in the UK, and has worked in various countries in Africa and Asia.

Works as a consultant physician with the Hospital for Tropical Diseases at UCLH. Previously Professor of Public and International Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Currently Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department of Health and Social Care and head of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Gresham Professor of Physic (the name for medicine when the post was created in 1597), Gresham College.

Also works for the PHE Fever Service. Conducted research on various tropical and infectious diseases, especially malaria.

Research interests

  • Tropical medicine
  • International health
  • Public health

Publications

Noad RJ, Simpson K, Fooks AR, Hewson R, Gilbert SC, Stevens MP, Hosie MJ, Prior J, Kinsey AM, Entrican G, Simpson A, Whitty CJM, Carroll MW. UK vaccines network: Mapping priority pathogens of epidemic potential and vaccine pipeline development. Vaccine. 2019 Oct 8;37(43):6241-6247

Ming DK, Armstrong M, Lowe P, Chiodini PL, Doherty JF, Whitty CJM, McGregor AC. Clinical and Diagnostic Features of 413 Patients Treated for Imported Strongyloidiasis at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2019 Aug;101(2):428-431 Whitty CJM, Ansah E. Malaria control stalls in high incidence areas. BMJ. 2019 May 21;365:l2216.

Nabarro LEB, Nolder D, Broderick C, Nadjm B, Smith V, Blaze M, Checkley AM, Chiodini PL, Sutherland CJ, Whitty CJM. Geographical and temporal trends and seasonal relapse in Plasmodium ovale spp. and Plasmodium malariae infections imported to the UK between 1987 and 2015. BMC Med. 2018 Nov 27;16(1):218.

Barrett J, Warrell CE, Macpherson L, Watson J, Lowe P, Armstrong M, Whitty CJM. The changing aetiology of eosinophilia in migrants and returning travellers in the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London 2002-2015: An observational study. J Infect. 2017 Oct;75(4):301-308.

Leslie T, Rowland M, Mikhail A, Cundill B, Willey B, Alokozai A, Mayan I, Hasanzai A, Baktash SH, Mohammed N, Wood M, Rahimi HU, Laurent B, Buhler C, Whitty CJM. Use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests by community health workers in Afghanistan: cluster randomised trial. BMC Med. 2017 Jul 7;15(1):124.

Rees E, Saavedra-Campos M, Usdin M, Anderson C, Freedman J, de Burgh J, Kirkbride H, Chiodini P, Smith V, Blaze M, Whitty CJM, Balasegaram S. Trend analysis of imported malaria in London; observational study 2000 to 2014. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2017 May - Jun;17:35-42.

Whitty CJ. The contribution of biological, mathematical, clinical, engineering and social sciences to combatting the West African Ebola epidemic. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2017 May 26;372(1721

Hopkins H, Bruxvoort KJ, Cairns ME, Chandler CI, Leurent B, Ansah EK, Baiden F, Baltzell KA, Björkman A, Burchett HE, Clarke SE, DiLiberto DD, Elfving K, Goodman C, Hansen KS, Kachur SP, Lal S, Lalloo DG, Leslie T, Magnussen P, Jefferies LM, Mårtensson A, Mayan I, Mbonye AK, Msellem MI, Onwujekwe OE, Owusu-Agyei S, Reyburn H, Rowland MW, Shakely D, Vestergaard LS, Webster J, Wiseman VL, Yeung S, Schellenberg D, Staedke SG, Whitty CJM. Impact of introduction of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria on antibiotic prescribing: analysis of observational and randomised studies in public and private healthcare settings. BMJ. 2017 Mar 29;356:j1054. doi: 10.1136/bmj.j1054.

Clinical, geographical, and temporal risk factors associated with presentation and outcome of vivax malaria imported into the United Kingdom over 27 years: observational study. Broderick C, Nadjm B, Smith V, Blaze M, Checkley A, Chiodini PL, Whitty CJM. BMJ. 2015 Apr 16;350:h1703. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h1703

Schistosomiasis presenting in travellers: a 15 year observational study at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London. Coltart CE, Chew A, Storrar N, Armstrong M, Suff N, Morris L, Chiodini PL, Whitty CJ Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2015 Jan 8

Infectious disease: tough choices to reduce Ebola transmission Whitty CJ, Farrar J, Ferguson N, Edmunds WH, Piot P, Leach M, Davies SC Nature 2014 Nov 13; 515(7526):194-4 A mixed methods study of a health worker training intervention to increase syndromic referral for gambiense human African trypanosomiasis in South Sudan. Palmer JJ, Surur EI, Checchi F, Ahmad F, Ackom FK, Whitty CJ. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014 Mar 20; 8(3):e2742

Rapid diagnostic tests to improve treatment of malaria and other febrile illnesses: patient randomised effectiveness trial in primary care clinics in Afghanistan. Leslie T, Mikhail A, Mayan I, Cundill B, Anwar M, Bakhtash SH, Mohammed N, Rahman H, Zekria R, Whitty CJ, Rowland M. BMJ 2014 Jun 19; 348

Milroy Lecture: eradication of disease: hype, hope and reality Whitty CJ Clin Med 2014 Aug; 14(4):419-21 "Even if the test result is negative, they should be able to tell us what is wrong with us": a qualitative study of patient expectations of rapid diagnostic tests for malaria. Ansah EK, Reynolds J, Akanpigbiam S, Whitty CJ, Chandler CI Malar J. 2013 Jul 22; 12:258

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Introducing RDTs for Malaria Diagnosis as Compared to Microscopy and Presumptive Diagnosis in Central and Peripheral Public Health Facilities in Ghana Ansah E, Epokor M, Whitty CJ, Yeung S, Hansen KS. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2013 Aug 26

Investigation and treatment of imported malaria in non-endemic countries. Whitty CJ, Chiodini PL, Lalloo DG BMJ 2013 May 21; 346

Requests for malaria prevention advice to Public Health England, Malaria Reference Laboratory: A retrospective observational study. Godbole G, Blaze M, Smith V, Whitty CJ, Chiodini PL Travel Med Infect Dis. 2013 Jun 1

Syndromic algorithms for detection of gambiense human African trypasosomiasis in South Sudan Palmer JJ, Surur EI, Goch GW, Mayen MA, Lindner AK, Pittet A, Kasparian S, Checchi F, Whitty CJ PLoS NTD. 2013; 7(1)

Severe imported falciparum malaria among adults requiring intensive care: a retrospective study at the hospital for tropical diseases, London Marks ME, Armstrong M, Suvari MM, Batson S, Whitty JM, Chiodini PL, Bellinghan G, Doherty JF. BMC Infect Dis. 2013 Mar 5; 13:118

Geographic, symptomatic and laboratory predictors of parasitic and bacterial causes of diarrhoea in travellers McGregor AC, Whitty CJ, Wright SG Trans Roy Soc Trop Dis Hyg 2012 106(9):549-53

Geographical concentration of falciparum malaria treated in the UK and delay to treatment with artesunate in severe cases: an observational study Broderick C, Friend P, Smith V, Blaze M, Gothard P, Chiodini PL, Whitty CJ BMJ Open 2012 2(6)

Overdiagnosis and mistreatment of malaria among febrile patients at primary healthcare level in Afghanistan: observational study. Leslie T, Mikhail A, Mayan I, Anwar M, Bakhtash S, Nader M, Chandler C, Whitty CJ, Rowland M BMJ 2012 345:e4389

Risk factors for mortality from imported falciparum malaria in the United Kingdom over 20 years: an observational study Checkley AM, Smith A, Smith V, Blaze M, Bradley D, Chiodini PL, Whitty CJ BMJ 2012 344:e2116. doi: 10.1136

Severe febrile illness in adult hospital admissions in Tanzania: a prospective study in an area of high malaria transmission. Nadjm B, Mtove G, Amos B, Walker NF, Diefendal H, Reyburn H, Whitty CJ Trans Roy Soc Trop Med Hyg 2012 106(11):688-95

Advising on travel during pregnancy Hezelgrave NL, Whitty CJ, Shennan AH, Chappell LC BMJ 2011 342:d2506. doi: 10.1136/bmj.d2506

Glycerol adjuvant therapy in adults with bacterial meningitis in a high HIV seroprevalence setting in Malawi: a double-blind, randomised controlled trial Ajdukiewicz KM, Cartwright KE, Scarborough M, Mwambene JB, Goodson P, Molyneux ME, Zijlstra EE, French N, Whitty CJ, Lalloo DG Lancet Infect Dis 2011 11(4)

The RTS,S malaria vaccine Whitty CJ BMJ 2011 343

Treatment guided by rapid diagnostic tests for malaria in Tanzanian children: safety and alternative bacterial diagnoses Mtove G, Hendriksen IC, Amos B, Mrema H, Mandia V, Manjurano A, Muro F, Sykes A, Hildenwall H, Whitty CJ, Reyburn H Mal J 2011

Do doctors under-provide, over-provide or both? Exploring the quality of medical treatment in the Philippines James CD, Hanson K, Solon O, Whitty CJ, Peabody J Int J Qual Health Care. 2011; 23(4):445-55

Likely health outcomes for untreated acute febrile illness in the tropics in decision and economic models: a Delphi survey Lubell Y, Staedke SG, Greenwood BM, Kamya MR, Molyneux M, Newton PN, Reyburn H, Snow RW, D'Alessandro U, English M, Day N, Kremsner P, Dondorp A, Mbacham W, Dorsey G, Owusu-Agyei S, Maitland K, Krishna S, Newton C, Pasvol G, Taylor T, von Seidlein L, White NJ, Binka F, Mills A, Whitty CJ. PLoS One. 2011 Feb 24;6(2)

Atesunate versus quinine in the treatment of severe falciparum malaria in African children (AQUAMAT): an open-label, randomised trial Dondorp AM, Fanello CI, Hendriksen IC, Gomes E, Seni A, Chhaganlal KD, Bojang K, Olaosebikan R, Anunobi N, Maitland K, Kivaya E, Agbenyega T, Nguah SB, Evans J, Gesase S, Kahabuka C, Mtove G, Nadjm B, Deen J, Mwanga-Amumpaire J, Nansumba M, Karema C, Umulisa N, Uwimana A, Mokuolu OA, Adedoyin OT, Johnson WB, Tshefu AK, Onyamboko MA, Sakulthaew T, Ngum WP, Silamut K, Stepniewska K, Woodrow CJ, Bethell D, Wills B, Oneko M, Peto TE, von Seidlein L, Day NP, White NJ; AQUAMAT group Lancet. 2010 Jan 8; 377(9760):126

Scale-up of services and research priorities for diagnosis, management and control of tuberculosis: a call to action Marais BJ, Raviglione MC, Donald PR, Harries AD, Kritski AL, Graham SM, El-Sadr WM, Harrington M, Churchyard G, Mwaba P, Sanne I, Kaufmann SH, Whitty CJ, Atun R, Zumla A Lancet. 2010 Jun 19; 375(9732):2179-91

Management of malaria and other severe infections in rural Africa and Asia Whitty CJ, Leslie T, Chandler CI, Staedke SG. BMJ. 2010 Mar 17; 340:c1527

Eosinophilia in returning travellers and migrants from the tropics: UK recommendations for investigation and initial management Checkley AM, Chiodini PL, Dockrell DH, Bates I, Thwaites GE, Booth HL, Brown M, Wright SG, Grant AD, Mabey DC, Whitty CJ, Sanderson F, British Infection Society and Hospital for Tropical Diseases J Infect 2010 60(1):1-20

Intensive care admissions for children with imported malaria in the United Kingdom Garbash M, Round J, Whitty CJ, Chiodini PL, Riordan FA, Shingadia D, Ladhani S. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2010 29(12):1140-2

Prospective, national clinical and epidemiologic study on imported childhood malaria in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland Ladhani S, Garbash M, Whitty CJ, Chiodini PL, Aibara RJ, Riordan FA, Shingadia D Pediatr Infect Dis J 2010 29(5):434-8

Rapid testing for malaria in settings where microscopy is available and peripheral clinics where only presumptive treatment is available: a randomised controlled trial in Ghana Ansah EK, Narh-Bana S, Epokor M, Akanpigbiam S, Quartey AA, Gyapong J, Whitty CJ BMJ 2010 340:c930. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c930

The impact of phenotypic and genotypic G6PD deficiency on risk of plasmodium vivax infection: a case-control study amongst Afghan refugees in Pakistan Leslie T, Briceño M, Mayan I, Mohammed N, Klinkenberg E, Sibley CH, Whitty CJ, Rowland M Pakistan PLoS Med 2010 7(5):e1000283

WHO guidelines for antimicrobial treatment in children admitted to hospital in an area of intense Plasmodium falciparum transmission: prospective study Nadjm B, Amos B, Mtove G, Ostermann J, Chonya S, Wangai H, Kimera J, Msuya W, Mtei F, Dekker D, Malahiyo R, Olomi R, Crump JA, Whitty CJ, Reyburn H BMJ 2010 340:c1350. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c1350

British Infection Society and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases Fever in returned travellers presenting in the United Kingdom: recommendations for investigation and initial management. Johnston V, Stockley JM, Dockrell D, Warrell D, Bailey R, Pasvol G, Klein J, Ustianowski A, Jones M, Beeching NJ, Brown M, Chapman AL, Sanderson F, Whitty CJ J Infect 2009 59(1):1-18

Estimating unreported malaria cases in England: a capture-recapture study Cathcart SJ, Lawrence J, Grant A, Quinn D, Whitty CJ, Jones J, Chiodini PL, Fraser G Epidemiol Infect 2009 138(7):1052-8

Home management of malaria with artemether-lumefantrine compared with standard care in urban Ugandan children: a randomised controlled trial Staedke SG, Mwebaza N, Kamya MR, Clark TD, Dorsey G, Rosenthal PJ, Whitty CJ Lancet 2009 373(9675):1623-31

Randomized trial of artesunate+amodiaquine, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine+amodiaquine, chlorproguanal-dapsone and SP for malaria in pregnancy in Tanzania Mutabingwa TK, Muze K, Ord R, Briceño M, Greenwood BM, Drakeley C, Whitty CJ PLoS One 2009 4(4):e5138

Interaction of malaria and HIV in Africa Reithinger R, Kamya MR, Whitty CJ, Dorsey G, Vermund SH. BMJ 2009 Jun 3; 338:b2141

Motivation, money and respect: a mixed-method study of Tanzanian non-physician clinicians Chandler CI, Chonya S, Mtei F, Reyburn H, Whitty CJ Soc Sci Med. 2009 Jun; 68(11):2078-88

Diagnosis of malaria in children’s outpatient departments in Abuja, Nigeria Nomhwange TI, Whitty CJ Trop Doct. 2009 Apr; 39(2):90-2