Calvin’s wide-ranging skillset includes analytical epidemiology, spatial and temporal analysis of epidemiological data, modelling, biostatistics, network analysis, ecological and socioecological system framework analysis. Others are development of training modules, technology-driven context-specific solutions and delivery of tailored training to strengthen human and animal health information systems. 

Specializing in One Health approaches, Calvin’s research has been widespread over the past 20 years, with a focus on generating and translating scientific evidence to influence policies and practices related to prevention, control and risk management of infectious diseases of humans and animals. His areas of interest include climate-sensitive infectious diseases and viral haemorrhagic fevers of epidemic and pandemic potential, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). He advocates for the strategies targeting to realize community health security, through adaptive processes that would enhance early detection and risk management of public health threats at the source, both geographically (at the location of origin) and zoologically (at the species of origin). Calvin believes that by targeting risk-management efforts at the source, this kind of approach would ultimately provide progressive impacts to the national, regional, and global health security.

Calvin has served as the lead One Health Epidemiologist in the designing, development and field-testing of a one health digital disease surveillance tool branded AfyaData to accelerate detection and reporting of health threats at the community level and enhance feedback loops.  He led the assessment of functionalities of disease surveillance systems in the cross-border ecosystems of the East Africa region to guide approaches and best practices in risk-based surveillance, and risk reduction strategies against endemic, emerging, re-emerging and novel transboundary infectious diseases. He has provided an epidemiological expertise in the designing, development, and deployment of digital surveillance tools for the national Ports of Entry ecosystems including airports and ground crossings in Tanzania.

Calvin has coordinated and facilitated numerous workshops on disease surveillance, data analysis and utilization in decision-making process. After having carried out extensive research and vaccine trial on Rift Valley fever (RVF), Calvin led and facilitated the multisectoral technical working groups in the revision of the Tanzania National RVF Emergence Preparedness and Response plan. Translating his research skillset and experience in the field of AMR, he led the development of the national active surveillance plan for AMR in human-food producing animals in Tanzania. He has also provided technical expertise within the principles of one health approach in the review of AMR policies in the Africa region. Calvin has provided technical support in strengthening of event-based surveillance (EBS) in the African Union Member States (MS) through several initiatives. To mention some, he led the development of a two-day COVID-19 orientation module for community health workers in the Africa region; he coordinated the situation analysis of EBS implementation in Eastern and Central Africa Regional Collaborating Centres of the Africa CDC (RCC); led development of EBS training modules and formation of multisectoral technical working groups for EBS operationalization in Eastern and Central RCC. Calvin has provided technical support in the Eastern and Central RCC in the adaptation to EBS training materials to align with country requirements/preferences, development of guidelines, standard operating procedures, list of national priority diseases, list of national priority signals and sources for EBS. He facilitated creation of trainers of trainers (ToTs) to create the country-level cohorts of workforce to accelerate and sustain operationalization of EBS at the national and sub-national levels in Eastern and Central Africa region. He also supervised training on EBS at different levels within the countries.

In recognition of outstanding achievements in strengthening disease surveillance systems in the Africa region, Calvin facilitated the revision of the EBS framework of the Africa CDC to incorporate important updates and developments made from the time it was launched in 2018 and adapted by the Member States. He appears as one of the key contributors in the production of the versions of 2023 of the Africa CDC EBS Framework and Training Manual. Calvin has provided epidemiological technical support in the development of a digital platform to enhance multisectoral coordination of One Health Section within the Prime Minister’s Office in Tanzania for early detection of and response to infectious disease outbreaks. Calvin has been (and he is still) leading and providing  epidemiological technical support in the adoption of field-deployable and affordable genomic sequencing and bioinformatic methods and infrastructure to enhance the functionality of early warning and response and clinical management of infectious diseases of epidemic potential (including AMR) primarily in Tanzania and the East Africa region. He is also leading the modelling of climate change impact on water-borne-bacterial and Aedes-borne-viral diseases in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar to enhance establishing a national early warning system.

With a One Health lens, Calvin was the founder and served as the chief editor of the TechnoHealth Surveillance Newsletter of SACIDS Foundation for One Health to enhance sharing and exchange of information on One Health activities from the national, regional to global scales. He is a member of the National One Health Disease Surveillance Technical Working Group in Tanzania, and a member of Community of Practice; Emerging Diseases and Arboviral Infections; Climate Change and One Health Sciences under SACIDS Foundation for One Health. Calvin has served at the Principal Investigator and Co-investigator in several research projects.  He has supervised/mentored six PhD and 7 MSc/Mphil students. Calvin has co-authored 60 peer-reviewed publications (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xiGGqVkAAAAJ&hl=en); seven policy briefs; and participated in the policy dialogues on surveillance, control, and prevention of infectious diseases of humans and animals. He is also serving as a reviewer for several renown national and international peer reviewed journals.