CURRENT LAB MEMBERS
David Kiragu Mwaura
A growing research scientist with an interest in using bioinformatics, molecular techniques and One Health Approach in answering research gaps in infectious, emerging and remerging diseases. He is a research assistant where he is characterizing zoonotic viruses (coronaviruses, filoviruses, and paramyxoviruses), developing a non-invasive genotyping protocol and an R-shiny web application for assigning paternity using logarithm of likelihood ratios both for wild animal population.
Mary Chege
A research fellow and a Ph.D. student in Bioinformatics who aims at understanding microbiome diversity and how the structure of microbiome communities influences pathogen distribution within and among wildlife populations, livestock, and human interface. She has a keen interest in understanding the epidemiology of multi-host pathogens and disease surveillance, dynamics of disease transmission at the livestock-wildlife interface, and one health, as ways to curb challenges faced in Africa of re-emerging and emerging infectious diseases.
Carolyne Jerono
A prospective researcher on one health approach; zoonotic parasite screening and performance of parasitic surveillance in relation to environment, human, wildlife, vector biology and behaviour in aim of curbing the spread of zoonotic diseases . Currently pursuing a MSc. in Medical Parasitology and Entomology and for award of the same I am performing a study on Epidemiological Surveillance and characterization of zoonotic gastrointestinal parasites in understudied wild primate populations.
Purity Oreng’
A research fellow and a graduate with a BSc. in Microbiology. Currently working on epidemiological surveillance of zoonotic gastrointestinal parasites and haemoparasites in wild primate populations and vectors. Keen on utilizing molecular screening tools such as Oxford Nanopore Technology as a sequencing platform in resource limited setting.
Elisha Opiyo
A research fellow and a graduate with BSc. Molecular and Cell Biology. He is currently involves in molecular diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, peripheral blood mononuclear cell isolation for immunological profiling of tropical diseases, molecular screening of bocavirus in non-human primates. He has a research interest in molecular virology with special emphasis in avian as hosts or reservoirs.
Gift Thoya Katana
A research laboratory technician with a profound interest in waste management, biosafety/biosecurity and using parasitological techniques to perform parasitic surveillance of zoonotic interest in wildlife and human populations. He is involved in development of animal model of infant cryptosporidiosis and offers expert guidance in understanding dynamics of parasitic co-infection in wildlife NHPs population through microscopic detection.
LAB ALUMNI
Cedrick Shikoli – January 2021 to December 2021
With interest in molecular biology and bioinformatics to understand infectious diseases, he was a research assistant where he performed molecular screening of coronaviruses and associated host receptors diversity (ACE2 Receptors Gene) in understudied NHPs population. He is currently involved in the JICA SATREPS Malaria Research; where he is conducting immunological studies and scRNA sequencing and analysis to understand the difference in the disease manifestation in malaria infected patients in the population.
Griphin Ochieng Ochola – October 2021 to June 2022
A research fellow with an interest in virus identification and viral pathogenicity. He was involved two research projects namely ‘Molecular screening of coronaviruses and associated host receptors diversity (ACE2 Receptors Gene) in understudied NHPs population’ and ‘Epidemiological Surveillance and characterization of zoonotic gastrointestinal parasites in understudied wild primate population’. He is currently part of the Kenyan team of Remote Emerging Disease Intelligence Network (REDI-NET) where he is detecting, predicting and containing emergent pathogens of human health relevance.
Floyd Mwangi Laval – October 2021 to June 2022
Interested in working with wildlife species that are endemic to Kenya as a veterinarian and conservationist. Currently working with large and companion animals in regards to clinical and surgical therapy.
Rispah Nganga – 2019
Peris Mbuthia – 2019