Researcher profile

Marco-Felipe King

I am a mathematician with a background in fluid dynamics. My teaching and research expertise are in the problem of how human behaviour effects infection risk. By combining research into contact transmission, hand hygiene, indoor air quality and environmental cleaning in hospitals, I study the spread of pathogens on multiple scales. I work with the NHS, industry and international partners to carry out experimental and modelling based studies, in particular to explore the lifecycle of pathogens from source to susceptible host. I contribute as a researcher co-investigator to the EPSRC funded Hospital Environment Control, Optimisation and Infection Risk Assessment project https://HECOIRA.leeds.ac.uk, which is a 4 year funded project in collaboration with St James’ University Teaching Hospital in Leeds, Hairmyres Hospital in Lanarkshire, Monaghans and Apex4D. I graduated from Durham University with a BSc (2008) in mathematics having investigated "Mathematical Phylotaxis and Fibonacci's Golden Ratio as my final disseration. In 2009 I graduated with distinction from the University of Leeds with an MSc in Computational Fluid Dynamics. Here I studied the optimal placement of UV germicidal irradiation air cleaning devices for the disinfection of Influenza H1N1 virus in hospital patient rooms. As a result of this interest, I undertook a PhD with Prof. Catherine J Noakes and Dr. Andy Sleigh, culminating in an award for excellence in reserach in 2013 for: "Modelling infection risk due to environmental contamination in hospital single and multi-bed ward accommodation".