My name is Dr Sharon Cox and I am raising money for “Their lives matter” (TLM) founded and run by my good friend, Paediatric Oncologist Dr Trish Scanlan. I had the pleasure and honour of 7 years of shared time with Trish whilst living and working in Tanzania in 2007 to 2014, where I was based in the same hospital.
Now, more than 10 years later, aged 51, I am raising money by participating in the Jurassic Coast Ultra Challenge – to walk/run (the downhill bits!) 100km along the Dorset coast over 2 days on the 17th and 18th of May – 2 weeks to go!! This is my first and probably only Ultra event I will ever do. As much as I like being out and walking and running in the countryside, 15km is more like my preferred maximum distance!
I was an academic researcher and epidemiologist for 20 years, working for the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine from 2001 until 2021, with much of that time based abroad conducting research in malaria, sickle cell disease and finally tuberculosis with the aim of increasing understanding and preventing or improving outcomes in the poorest populations. My time working in Tanzania, was one of the best. I returned to live in the UK in late 2021 and now work for the UK Health Security Agency (previously Public Heath England) as the principal Epidemiologist for Tuberculosis; a disease that has never gone away and is a disease of poverty in every country and is once again on the increase.
I remain an honorary Associate Professor at LSHTM. I was an elected trustee of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from 2016 to 2021, and I have been a board member of TLM since 2023.
Remember we have a duty to Save Little Lives and to Care for them!