News Releases

The UWI mourns the passing of Professor Dave Chadee

For Release Upon Receipt - June 22, 2016

UWI


one of the world’s foremost experts on vector-borne diseases and the Aedes aegypti mosquito

The University of the West Indies mourns the passing of one of its own, Professor Dave Chadee. Known to many as “the mosquito man”, Professor Chadee was a renowned Entomologist and Parasitologist, and an expert in vector-borne diseases, whose work has positively affected the lives of hundreds of millions of people across the world. He led research into mosquito-spread diseases such as dengue fever, yellow fever, and malaria and most recently, the Zika virus. His work on mosquitoes has guided the development of mosquito traps, new disease surveillance systems, and new control strategies. Professor Chadee passed away yesterday, June 21, 2016.

Members of The UWI community have expressed their condolences on his sudden passing. Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles described Professor Chadee as “a brilliant, dedicated, outstanding colleague; a superb researcher and public servant” and noted that Chadee was “always willing to serve the public of this region to his maximum.” Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the St. Augustine Campus, Professor Clement Sankat added “Dave Chadee’s work has been nationally, regionally and internationally recognized both for its scholarly impact as well as its applicability and timeliness. His research has helped position The UWI as a leader in this field of research, advising countries like Brazil, China, Sri Lanka and Malaysia on vector control programmes. A humble man from Tableland, Trinidad, he cared for his community and country. His shoes will be very difficult to fill. May his soul rest in peace—he deserves no less.” Chair of The UWI’s Regional Task Force on Zika, Professor Clive Landis also said “The Zika Task Force is greatly saddened by the sudden and unexpected passing of our esteemed colleague, Professor Dave Chadee, aka ‘The Mosquito Man’. Put simply, the Caribbean has lost its foremost authority on mosquito prevention.” Professor Chadee was one of 13 UWI experts appointed by the Vice-Chancellor earlier in February to serve on its Regional Task Force on Zika.

At the time of his passing, Professor Chadee was Professor of Environmental Health and Subject Leader in Bioethics in The UWI St. Augustine’s Department of Life Sciences. Professor Chadee specialised in the ecology, surveillance, ethics, epidemiology and control of vector-borne diseases. He ran the only postgraduate course in Bioethics for research students at The UWI St. Augustine Campus and was a member of The UWI Ethics Committee. Most recently, he also served as the current Chair of the campus’ Open Lectures Committee. He also held adjunct professor posts at the Department of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University in New Orleans; the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami and at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

As a recognised authority in his field, Professor Chadee’s expertise was highly sought after. He was appointed to several international expert panels at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington, DC, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)  in Vienna and  on the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to name a few. In addition, he was awarded research grants from notable entities such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Fogarty, the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency. He was also the recipient of numerous local, regional and international awards. Among them, a 2013 Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Award for Excellence (ANSCAFE) in Science and Technology, a 2015 award from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for his “Outstanding Contribution in the Area of Public Health including Vector Control” and the award for “Most Outstanding International Research Project—Biology and behaviour of male mosquitoes in relation to new approaches to control disease transmitting mosquitoes” at the 2016 UWI-NGC Research Awards earlier this month. Professor Chadee published over 300 publications in international journals and had several collaborations with scientists from the USA and the UK.

Prior to joining The UWI, Professor Chadee spent two decades in the public health sector serving as Entomologist/Parasitologist at the Insect Vector Control Division in the Ministry of Health, Director of the Trinidad Public Health Laboratory and Deputy Director of Laboratory Services in the Ministry of Health.

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 About The UWI

Since its inception in 1948, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged, regional University with well over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest, most longstanding higher education provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with four campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Open Campus. The UWI has faculty and students from more than 40 countries and collaborative links with 160 universities globally; it offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology and Social Sciences. UWI’s seven priority focal areas are linked closely to the priorities identified by CARICOM and take into account such over-arching areas of concern to the region as environmental issues, health and wellness, gender equity and the critical importance of innovation. For more information, visit www.uwi.edu

 

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)

 

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