Academy Members: Postdoctoral researchers, Masters students and PhD students.
Please see below Postdoctoral researchers, Masters students and PhD students who are funded through the GHRG GI and others who are associated with the unit.
Chikondi Mwendera, Postdoctoral researcher at The University of Liverpool
Chikondi Mwendera is a postdoctoral researcher affiliated with the NIHR Global Health Research Group in Gastrointestinal Infections (GHRG-GIs) at the University of Liverpool. Holding a PhD in Public Health (Health Policy) from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, Chikondi has previously held positions as a postdoctoral researcher at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and The Queen Mary University of London.
With a profound interest in knowledge translation to promote evidence-based policy decision-making, Chikondi brings expertise in health policy analysis, systematic literature review, stakeholder analysis and engagement, and the development of stakeholder engagement strategies. Notably, during the PhD research journey, a framework was developed to facilitate the utilization of malaria research in policy development in Malawi, elucidating challenges and facilitators in this process.
Chikondi has contributed to the establishment of technical advisory groups for vector control in Malawi, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon. Furthermore, engagement with marginalized communities in East London aimed to enhance their access to health services in the UK. Key publications authored by Chikondi can be accessed on ORCID NO.: 0000-0003-1513-7088.
In the current role within the NIHR GHRG-GI, Chikondi's responsibilities are cross-cutting but predominantly focused on Theme 3 (Policy). This involves actively engaging with key national stakeholders interested in vaccine-preventable Gastrointestinal Infections (GIs) and conducting a systematic review to establish the burden of GIs caused by rotavirus, Shigella, and enterotoxigenic E. Coli in Kenya, Malawi, and Ethiopia.
Christina Bronowski, Postdoctoral researcher at The University of Liverpool
Christina is a senior postdoctoral researcher in the Gastrointestinal Infections Group at the University of Liverpool, Department for Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology.
She has extensive experience in several aspects of gastrointestinal disease research, ranging from pathogen genomics to transmission of gastrointestinal disease agents in the environment. She has also worked as a project manager for a large Next Generation Sequencing Platform.
Her research interests focus on the role of the gut microbiome and its effect on health, disease and therapy response.
Latif Ndeketa, PhD student at The University of Liverpool
I am an MRC-DiMeN funded PhD student in Vaccinology and Immunology. My project is looking to improve population impact evaluations of new vaccine introductions to more accurately measure vaccine-attributable effects and differentiate these from other concurrent public health interventions.
I am a medical doctor with a masters in Vaccinology and a masters in Epidemiology. I have a growing number of publications in vaccinology, won multiple personal grants and scientific awards. In Malawi, I am involved in vaccine evaluation studies and co-lead the Vaccine Theme at Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme. I a member of several national technical advisory committees on vaccine introductions and I also hold an honorary post at KUHeS in the department of Pharmacy.
Cecilia Mbae, Postdoctoral researcher at KEMRI
Cecilia a senior Research Scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Centre for Microbiology Research. Her research focuses on molecular epidemiology surveillance and Antimicrobial resistance of emerging, re-emerging and neglected infectious diseases, both bacterial and parasitic. She is currently involved in four ongoing projects, either as a PI or as Co-investigator, and other research projects have been completed. The latest project is the ‘NIHR Global Health Research Group on Gastrointestinal Infections: Facilitating the Introduction and Evaluation of Vaccines for Enteric Diseases in Children in Easternand Southern sub-Saharan Africa’. Cecilia has taken the role of a project lead, coordinating all field and laboratory processes and also the position of a post-doc fellow. Through her research, she has been able to author more than thirty publications in peer- reviewed journals. Cecilia has also been able to mentor and train many postgraduate students and young scientists, on basic microbiology as well as molecular techniques. She is a faculty member of the KEMRI graduate school.
Amos Thuku Njuguna, Masters Student at KEMRI, Kenya
Mr. Thuku is a research assistant at the Center for Microbiology Research-Kenya Medical Research Institute with 2 years’ experience in Microbiology and Molecular Biology techniques. During this time he has worked with various bacteriology and AMR research projects which includes the typhoid fever carriage, epidemiology of Non-Typhoidal Salmonella (NTS), and cholera prevention.
Currently, Mr. Thuku is involved in investigating the burden of vaccine preventable diarrhea diseases in children in Kenya, a project under the Global health research group on gastrointestinal infections (GHRG-GI).
His research interest includes bacterial genomics, AMR in clinical and environmental bacterial pathogens.
MSc. Microbiology (ongoing), Kenyatta University
BSc. Biomedical Science and Technology, Laikipia University, (2017)
Rahma Osman, Masters Student at KEMRI, Kenya
Miss Osman is a public health professional with extensive experience in Monitoring and Evaluation, Community Engagement, and Health-related research.
Rahma holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Kenyatta University, a Professional Certification in Monitoring and Evaluation, and a post-graduate diploma in Project management.
Currently, she is studying for a master’s degree in Public Health at Kenyatta University and working as a Research Assistant at Kenya Medical Research Institute. Before this, she worked in different Non-Governmental Organizations as M&E Officer
When she is away from school and research work, Rahma likes swimming, reading novels, and cooking her family’s favorite meals.
Christine Kioko, Masters Student at KEMRI, Kenya
Christine Kioko is a research assistant currently working at Centre for Microbiology Research-Kemri. She has an interest in enteric pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. She has worked on several projects and has gained vast experience in bacteriology and molecular work.
Christine holds a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Eldoret and is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Medical Microbiology from Kenyatta University. In addition to this, she also holds certifications relevant in the field of human health and research
Prisca Benedicto, Post Doctoral Research Assistant at Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust, Malawi
Edson Mwinjiwa, PhD student at Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust, Malawi
I am a Clinical Trial Coordinator at Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme leading a multidisciplinary trial team at the Malawi site in the implementation of a PATH funded phase 3 double-blind, randomized, active comparator-controlled, group-sequential, multinational trial to assess the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of a trivalent rotavirus P2-VP8 subunit vaccine in prevention of severe rotavirus gastroenteritis in healthy infants. I coordinated two other local randomized controlled trials before whose results were published [Adjunctive Dexamethasone in HIV-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis | NEJM and Revisiting Co-Trimoxazole Prophylaxis for African Adults in The Era of Antiretroviral Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial - PubMed (nih.gov)].
I have a Diploma in Clinical Medicine from the Malawi College of Health Sciences and a master’s degree in public health (MPH) from Kamuzu College of Health Sciences (KUHeS). My research experience spans around HIV, TB, Malaria, and vaccine preventable diarrhoea in children.
My PhD work focuses on evaluation of the economic burden of childhood diarrhoea cost effectiveness and budget-impact of rotavirus vaccine in Malawi. The aim is to assess both the implementation cost and affordability of the reimbursed rotavirus vaccine intervention to inform policy the local financing capacity and to determine alternative financing options for rotavirus vaccine as the donor funding window for new vaccines threatens to close.
Steven Sabola, Masters student at Kamuza University of Health Sciences, Malawi
End Chnyaman, Masters student at Kamuza University of Health Sciences, Malawi
End Chinyama is a Research Assistant at the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme. He is Currently enrolled at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences where he is studying master of Philosophy in Microbiology. His research focuses in molecular biology where he has been characterizing rotavirus strains circulating in Malawi. He is currently involved in two ongoing project which are DIARSURV, Ancillary Study and other research projects which have been completed.
End Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health and a Diploma in Biomedical Science. His long-term goal is to become a vibrant researcher and contribute a lot in the area of disease prevention at national and international level.
Innocent Chibwe, Masters student at Kamuza University of Health Sciences, Malawi
Innocent Chibwe is a dynamic Medical Laboratory Scientist with extensive experience in microbiology, antimicrobial resistance surveillance, and genomics. With a strong academic foundation and a passion for unraveling the complexities of infectious diseases, Innocent has dedicated himself to the forefront of medical research and disease control. Armed with a Bachelor's degree in Medical Laboratory Science, he swiftly immersed himself in the intricate world of microbes, mastering laboratory techniques and molecular diagnostics. His pivotal role in antimicrobial resistance surveillance deepened his understanding of evolving pathogens and the urgent need for effective strategies to combat resistance.
Currently pursuing a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Microbiology, Innocent is an esteemed fellow of the Global Health Research Group on Gastrointestinal Infections (GHRG-GI) at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences. This prestigious fellowship program has afforded him a platform to explore the variations of gastrointestinal infections, delving into genomics, host-pathogen interactions, and innovative diagnostic methodologies. Collaborating with renowned researchers, Innocent is committed to unraveling the complexities of gastrointestinal infections, advocating for interdisciplinary strategies that bridge microbiology, genomics, and global health.
His research is focused on uncovering the complexities of antimicrobial resistance profiles and genotypic characterization of Aeromonas caviae isolated from patients presenting with cholera-like illness during the 2022-2023 cholera outbreak in Malawi. This endeavor aims to shed light on the specific genetic traits and resistance mechanisms within the Aeromonas caviae strain during a critical public health crisis, contributing crucial insights to combat and manage cholera outbreaks more effectively.
During his free time apart from academic and research responsibilities, Innocent finds enjoyment in both playing and spectating soccer.