Dennis Mutinda
Supervisors
Dr. Melissa Kapulu
Dr. Melissa Kapulu
Email : MKapulu@kemri-wellcome.org Melissa attended the University of Zambia (199-2004) where she undertook a BSc in Molecular biology and genetics. Upon receipt of a Commonwealth Scholarship, Melissa moved to London where she read for an MSc in Immunology of Infectious Diseases (2006-2007), at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In 2007, she moved back to Zambia and worked at the University of Zambia (Biological Sciences Department and School of Medicine) and in addition, worked in Paul Kelly’s lab, looking at oral immune responses to vaccination (Tropical Gastroenterology & Nutrition Group) (2007-2009). In 2009, she received further Commonwealth Scholarship funding for DPhil research on malaria transmission-blocking vaccines in Adrian Hill’s lab, Jenner Institute, University of Oxford (2009-2014). In May of 2013, Melissa took up a post-doctoral position with Kevin Marsh at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi working on assessing the infectious reservoir of malaria. Her main interests are in understanding immunological aspects of malaria transmission with the aim of identifying and developing vaccine candidate targets.
Dr. Isabella Oyier
Isabella completed her PhD in 2006 at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene on a Gates Malaria Partnership scholarship, in molecular and cell biology of Plasmodium falciparum. The project focused on the molecular characterization of the endocytic marker Rab5 in the parasite. She then joined the KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) on a 3 year postdoctoral research position working on studies of natural selection in Plasmodium falciparum merozoite antigen genes, with Prof Kevin Marsh and Dr David Conway. During this project she was involved in establishing the capillary sequencing facility at the unit and began to develop her career in the molecular epidemiology of malaria. She was awarded a 2 year re-entry grant from the Malaria Capacity Development Consortium (MCDC) in 2009 to conduct a longitudinal study on the genetic diversity of merozoite antigens. In 2012 she extended her interest to the genetic diversity of known human erythrocyte receptors involved in the invasion of the merozoite and conducted this work under an 18 month MCDC Initiative award. She is also carried out research on the temporal variation in malaria drug resistance markers in collaboration with Dr. Colin Sutherland at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is based at the Centre of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics (CEBIB), University of Nairobi (UON), since 2011. Isabella was awarded a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Research Fellowship in 2016 to investigate the impact of polymorphisms on Plasmodium falciparum merozoite invasion of erythrocytes and on immune evasion. She continues to conduct studies on antimalarial resistance.
Having had a successful internship at the Kenya Bureau of Standards, Dennis developed interest in molecular biology resulting from the impact of the quality assurance work on consumer goods.
He then enrolled for a course in MSc. Biotechnology at the Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, University of Nairobi, and is currently undertaking the research component of the course at KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme.
His work focuses on malaria transmission, specifically using molecular techniques to determine the effects of drugs on parasite stages that are responsible for transmission (gametocytes).
Dennis is interested in seeing how different drugs increase/decrease the occurrence of gametocytes as well as how scientists can explore novel molecular targets for selective toxicity with a focus to improve global health.
- 51
- 66
- 48
- 104
- 44
- 423