Top 10 Healthcare Trendsetters of 2016

Alison Hill, PhD

Today HIV therapies can only treat symptoms, but Hill’s mathematical models could help find a permanent cure for the disease. “We are developing models to understand how new drug delivery strategies can be designed to reduce the burden on patients while controlling the virus and preventing disease transmission.” She believes human health is closely tied to environment and climate, especially when it comes to emerging infectious diseases. Thus, it’s not only important to create new treatments, but to make them accessible to those who need help the most.

Simply put, she uses mathematics to simulate and experiment the course of a disease under different intervention strategies, before testing out the most promising option in human patients. “Clinical trials are absolutely necessary, but since they are costly, time-consuming and potentially risky, the predictive models we develop can help us prioritize which new solution is the most promising.”

While research can get tedious, she continues to give her 100 percent She believes in emulating and following the career trajectory of personal influencers and maintaining a work-life balance. “Being burned out is harmful for productivity, so have hobbies that encourage creativity—the most important ingredient for science.”