I am a PhD student at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme and The Open University (UK), specializing in malaria molecular epidemiology. My research focuses on leveraging advanced molecular and genomic tools to investigate parasite population genetics, track the emergence and spread of drug-resistant P. falciparum strains, and improve diagnostic surveillance for non-falciparum species.

My background is in biomedical science; I began my research career as a molecular biology intern at icipe. I then pursued an MSc. in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). My master’s degree was a joint program with the Centre for Malaria Elimination-Mount Kenya University, the Kenya Institute of Primate Research (KIPRE), and the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, where I built a strong foundation in molecular biology and bioinformatics. Over the years, I have gained hands-on experience in assay design, optimization, and validation, including: Designing a rapid LAMP assay for malaria detection, Optimizing and validating RT-PCR assays for PfHRP2/3 deletion surveillance, Implementing a highly multiplex PCR assay (PfSMARRTer) for targeted amplicon sequencing to support high-throughput surveillance of anti-malarial resistance markers, applying molecular inversion probes (MIPs) to investigate the population structure of P. falciparum in Kenya.

This work has given me significant experience with high-throughput sequencing using Illumina and Oxford Nanopore platforms. I have also developed advanced data analysis skills, including transcriptomic pipelines (RNA-seq), genomic analysis with SeekDeep for multiplex PCR data, and GATK4 pipeline for whole-genome sequencing analysis. Before embarking on my PhD, I contributed to P. falciparum genotyping for therapeutic efficacy studies (TES) to monitor anti-malarial drug efficacy, as well as schistosomiasis research-examining how environmental factors influence the infectivity of Biomphalaria snails by Schistosoma mansoni.

I have been the recipient of early-career grants, including the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Early Career Research Grant during my MSc Training, and the IDeAL PhD programme grant for my doctoral studies. I am passionate about advancing malaria research through collaboration, capacity building, and open science. My goal is to contribute to the global fight against malaria by developing innovative tools and strategies that enhance surveillance, guide policy, and ultimately save lives.