Research and Innovation

Our global cross-disciplinary approach unites laboratory breakthroughs, clinical trials, policy engagement, implementation and systems strengthening in one continuous process.

A close-up view of a laboratory setting where a researcher wearing blue gloves uses fine metal dissection tools to handle an insect placed inside a clear petri dish under a stereo microscope. The insect, with a yellow and black striped abdomen, is positioned upright in the centre of the dish. The scene is brightly illuminated by the microscope’s light, highlighting the precision work being carried out for entomological or disease vector research.

Research with impact

LSTM is a global leader in infection, tropical medicine and global health research. We lead translational research across the full pathway, from early discovery and laboratory science through to clinical trials, public health implementation and global policy change.

Our cross-disciplinary approach ensures scientific breakthroughs are translated into real-world impact, improving health outcomes where they’re needed most.

Scientist in a white lab coat and blue glove holding up a test tube to inspect it in a laboratory, with equipment visible in the background.

LSTM Research Portal

Discover more about how LSTM’s research is improving health outcomes in disadvantaged populations globally, through partnership in research and education.

Whether you’re interested in a specific researcher, project, or health issue, the portal provides easy access to detailed information, allowing you to delve deeper into the world of tropical medicine and its vital contributions to global health.

Visit the LSTM Research Portal
A photo of four people sat on a white mat putting together blue tiny targets, a kind of insect trap.
An active research grant portfolio of

£738m​

Ranked

2nd

nationally ​for impact and 12th overall ​in REF 2021​
Over

500

active researchers with live projects in 60 countries​
A trusted partner working with over

2,000

organisations across ​60 countries​
Red-orange close-up of a dark circular centre with fine radial lines; a wavy, chain-like strand trails to the right.

Centres of Excellence

Our Centres, Institutes and Units bring together leading experts across disciplines to tackle complex global health challenges. These specialist groups drive collaborative, impact-focused research, advancing discovery, shaping policy and strengthening health systems in partnership with communities worldwide.

Discover our Centres, Institutes and Units
Scientist in a white lab coat and blue gloves using a pipette at a laboratory bench, surrounded by racks of tubes, equipment and a biohazard waste container under a task lamp.

Highlighted projects

Tiny Targets

Tiny Targets is an innovative vector control initiative led by LSTM and partners to reduce the spread of sleeping sickness. The aim was to reduce tsetse fly densities below the threshold that allows transmission of the disease.

Anti-Wolbachia Consortium (A·WOL)

The Anti-Wolbachia Consortium (A·WOL), led by LSTM, is pioneering a novel approach to treating filarial diseases by targeting Wolbachia, an essential bacterial symbiont within the worms that cause onchocerciasis and mosquitoes that cause lymphatic filariasis.

Hybridisation in UroGenital Schistosomiasis (HUGS)

The Hybridisation in UroGenital Schistosomiasis (HUGS) project is an international research collaboration focused on understanding the impact of parasite hybridisation on disease control.

Research culture

The world’s biggest health challenges need the world’s most diverse minds working together. At LSTM, we believe that inclusive, supportive, and collaborative research communities are key to delivering world-leading research and breakthroughs that transform global health.

Research culture
Three scientists in white lab coats talking in a bright laboratory, one holding a rack of sample tubes and another making notes in a notebook.

Discover our research through video

A researcher wearing blue scrubs holds a snake securely while guiding its fangs onto a small glass vial attached to a metal stand, collecting venom in a bright, clinical laboratory setting.
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A close-up fluorescent microscopy image showing several mosquito larvae glowing bright green with a diamond-shaped pattern along their segmented bodies, set against a vivid red background.
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A researcher wearing a blue glove holds a container inside a mesh enclosure filled with mosquitoes, used for studying disease transmission and vector control.
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