Modellers Sans Frontières is an international collaboration of epidemiologists, health economists and biostatisticians. The group, which is led by Dr Karen Canfell, is working on the development of novel models of cervical screening and HPV vaccination, which can be used to evaluate various cervical cancer prevention strategies in different settings. We emphasise an epidemiological approach to modelling and strong local collaborations in the settings in which we work.
Our work focuses on evaluating the interaction between vaccination and screening and we are also evaluating the cost-effectiveness of specific screening technologies - including HPV DNA testing, liquid-based cytology and automated cytology - in different settings.
Modellers Sans Frontières are currently performing technology evaluations for the governments of Australia, New Zealand and the UK (UK project led by Rosa Legood). We have also established research collaborations with groups in China and Canada, to explore different options for cervical cancer prevention in those settings.
The set of linked models used by Modellers Sans Frontières.
The dynamic model of HPV transmission uses information on sexual behaviour in the community to predict infection rates under various conditions, including HPV vaccination. The model of the natural history of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is used to predict rates of invasive cervical cancer and the model of cancer survival is used to predict cancer mortality. The complex model of screening, diagnosis and treatment, which is informed by the analysis of cytology registry data, is used to model the impact of various screening protocols and technologies. |
Modellers sans frontières and Cancer Council team:
Dr. Karen Canfell - Cancer Council
Dr. Mark Clements - Australian National University
Dr. Rosa Legood - London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK
Dr. Ruanne Barnabas - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, USA
Dr. Carolyn Nickson - Research Fellow
Megan Smith - Program Manager
Jie-Bin Lew - Senior Research Programmer
Prudence Creighton - Research Programmer
Robert Walker - Senior Research Programmer
Nayyereh Aminisani - PhD Student
Leonardo Simonella - PhD Student
Yoon Jung Kang - PhD Student
With thanks to:
Richard Morel - Studio Morel, Oxford, UK. |
Cancer Council team, July 2008
From left to right: (Back row) Robert Walker, Nayyereh Aminisani, Karen Canfell, Leonardo Simonella, Carolyn Nickson, Mark Clements, Prudence Creighton, Yoon Jung Kang; (front row) Megan Smith and Jie-Bin Lew. |
Modellers Sans Frontières members at a collaborator's meeting and
training workshop held in Sydney, July 2007.
Back row (left to right): Dr Yan Ning (Dalian University, China), Dr Veerle Coupe (Free University Hospital, The Netherlands), Aye Moa (Cancer Council NSW), Yoon Jung Kang (Cancer Council NSW), Richard Morel (Studio Morel, UK), Megan Smith (The Cancer Council NSW), Jie Bin Lew (Cancer Council NSW), Carolyn Nickson (Melbourne Univeristy), Jufang Shi (Cancer Institute, Chinese Academy of Medicine),
Nayyereh Aminisani (Cancer Council NSW)
Front row: Dr Mark Clements (Australian National University),
Dr Rosa Legood (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK),
Dr Karen Canfell (Cancer Council NSW),
A/Prof Freddy Sitas (Cancer Council NSW)
and Leonardo Simonella (Cancer Council NSW). |
