Anthony AFUM-ADJEI AWUAH, PhD 
Home Institution: Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR)
Host Institution: GSK Vaccine Institute, Italy
Background Information:
Anthony is currently a Postdoctoral research fellow in the EOD working group at KCCR in Kumasi Ghana. His main research focuses on Tuberculosis Immunology with particular interest in vaccine immunology. His group studies immune responses, immune polarization and immunomodulation during TB (pediatric and adult), MDR-TB and its coinfection with HIV with special emphasis on application to immunodiagnostics and vaccine candidature. He is also involved in studies in type2 diabetes, Schistosomiasis and other diseases that falls within the focus of EOD research group at KCCR. He holds a PhD in Immunology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) where he previously read Biochemistry as an undergraduate student.
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Admasu Tenna Mamuye, MD
Home Institution: College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Host Institution: Novartis, Switzerland
Background Information:
I am a medical doctor from Ethiopia specialized in internal medicine and infectious diseases. I have worked in clinical and academic medicine for more than ten years and have been actively involved in clinical research for the past 6 years. In my most recent appointment, I have successfully headed the Clinical Epidemiology Unit in my college. Working efficiently in a team and delivering good results are some of my strengths.
My particular disease areas of research interest are tuberculosis and cryptococcal disease. I am also deeply involved in human capacity building activities in areas including evidence based medicine and clinical research by securing grants and establishing trainings programs. I have the ambition, vision and commitment of inspiring a generation of clinical researchers in my home country.
To further strengthen my competence in clinical research and understand the similarities and differences of academic and industry led research, I am attending and Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Medicine training at Hibernia College, Dublin, Ireland. I also have this extraordinary privilege of getting elected for the EDCTP-TDR career development fellowship and I am working as fellow clinical scientist at Novartis Pharma on setting up a very important global, confirmatory clinical trial of a treatment for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDRTB).
Currently the standard of clinical trials in Africa is generally poor. I think this boils down to two main issues: lack of adequate infrastructure and lack of appropriately qualified personnel.
My theory is that Africa needs a critical mass of researchers who not only can lead local clinical trials, but who also understand how that can be done in such a manner that it complies with local and international regulations, contributes to the scientific progress, improves patient outcomes, and generates income for countries. This can happen if we bridge the chasm between academic and industry led research. I see no better way of realizing this other than creating cadres of researchers who embody the best of both worlds. I hope I will be one and also help create more of these!
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Michael Ochieng Otieno 
Home Institution: Strathmore University
Host Institution: WWARN, UK
Background Information:
Michael is finishing an MSc in Information Technology at Strathmore University, Kenya, and is currently working as Data Manager at the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi Africa) in Nairobi, Kenya. He has six years’ experience in clinical data management at DNDi and previously at KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi, Kenya.
As a data manager, Michael is responsible for developing and maintaining clinical trial databases alongside other systems used for effective management of DNDi Africa’s Data Center. His interests lie in using Open Source technologies to efficiently manage clinical trial data in resource-constrained settings as well as to set up data sharing platforms for neglected tropical diseases in the region.
Michael is currently based at the Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) central office at the University of Oxford where he is undertaking a WHO/TDR Fellowship focused on setting up a pilot Visceral Leishmaniasis data sharing platform.
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 Samia Rourou
Home Institution: Institut Pasteur de Tunis
Host Institution: GSK Siena, Italy
Background Information:
I am an assistant researcher at Pasteur Institute of Tunis (IPT), Tunisia, active in the field of viral vaccines development based on cell culture technology. I hold a diploma of engineer in Biotechnology as well as a master and PhD degrees in biology (biotechnology). I discussed my PhD in Biological Sciences entitled "Culture of Vero cells and production of rabies virus under animal component free conditions: process Development & proteomics Study " in September 2010.
Since October 1999, I joined I PT where I was appointed as engineer. On October 2011, I was recruited as assistant researcher. Throughout my duties at IPT, I was highly involved in vaccine development programs within our institute and have contributed greatly in the development of processes for the production of rabies vaccines for veterinary and human use. We have a strong experience and knowhow in the field of rabies vaccine process development for human application (Trabelsi et al. 2005; Trabelsi et al. 2006; Rourou et al. 2007; Rourou et al. 2009a; Rourou et al. 2009b; Rourou et al., 2014) and veterinarian use (Kallel et al. 2002; Kallel et al. 2003; Kallel et al. 2006,). We developed processes for rabies virus production in BHK-21 and Vero cells grown in serum containing and serum free media in stirred bioreactors. Upstream and downstream steps were designed and optimized. I also contributed in the development of measles and sheep pox vaccines (Trabelsi et al. 2012; Trabelsi et al. 2014).
IPT is currently involved in the production of vaccines and therapeutic sera for local needs. For these reasons, my current training in antigen design laboratory (preclinical R and D), GSK, Siena, Italy thanks to WHO/TDR followship, is an excellent opportunity for me and my institute. I will be able to enter the field of glycoconjugate vaccines and participate in the development of local vaccines (working on serotypes isolated in Tunisia and Africa). I hope also building strong collaborations in the framework of WHO/TDR programs and with my trainers here in GSK (Dr Francesco Berti research team) to benefit effectively from this opportunity.
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Belay Tessema Belay
Home Institution: Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Ethiopia
Host Institution: FIND
Background Information:
I have completed my BSc training in Medical Laboratory Technology at Jimma University, Ethiopia; MSc in Tropical and Infectious Diseases at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; and PhD in Medical Microbiology, Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Immunology at University of Leipzig, Germany. I am an Associate Professor of Medical Microbiology and Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases and Head of School of Biomedical and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia. My research interest is on infectious diseases with especial interest on development of diagnostic tools, molecular epidemiology and drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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Dr Etienne Anagalou Guirou
Host Institution: ASTELLAS
Home Institution: Malaria Research & Training Center
Background Information:
Etienne A. Guirou is a native of Mopti, a region of the Republic of Mali near the border with Burkina Faso. He is a graduate of the University of Bamako in Mali (M.D., General Medicine). After his graduation, he has worked for seven years on the prevention and treatment of malaria in pregnancy, at the Malaria Research & Training Center of Bamako. Later on, Etienne pursued a Master degree in Tropical Medicine from Nagasaki University in Japan. To date, he has co-authored seven peer-reviewed articles on malaria and HIV.
Currently, Etienne is a Research Assistant at the Malaria Research & Training Center, a Medical Practitioner of the Malian Ministry of Health, and also a part-time Lecturer of Epidemiology and Genetics. His current areas of interest include Malaria prevention and elimination, Research & Development for tropical diseases, Epidemiology, and Global Health.
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Dr Phumla Zuleika Sinxadi
Home Institution: University of Cape Town
Host Institution: GSK, UK
Background information:
I have a medical degree with specialist training in clinical pharmacology. I am currently employed at the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, at the University of Cape Town as the Senior Lecturer and Researcher. My research interests are pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenomics of anti-infective drugs (HIV, malaria and TB).
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Mohamadou SIRIBIE
Home Institution: Groupe de Recherche Action en Santé (GRAS)
Host Institution: IVI, South Korea
Background Information:
I am undertaking WHO/TDR Career Development Fellowship in Clinical Development at the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), Seoul, South Korea. As a graduate of the University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (Medical Doctor), I completed a PhD training in Epidemiology at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Italy in 2013. Also, I received various certifications among which, Certificates on Principles and Practice of Clinical Research and on ICH – Good Clinical Practice from the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, USA and from the Vienna School of Clinical Research, Austria.
Since 2009, I am working in my home institution, Groupe de Recherche Action en Santé (GRAS) in Burkina Faso, as co-investigator and principal investigator in more than five clinical studies including vaccine trials, drugs development, and field trials testing some childhood malaria and pneumonia control strategies.
My research interests include clinical trials and epidemiological studies on neglected infectious diseases (enteric infectious diseases, dengue, lower respiratory disease and schistosomiasis) and on poverty - related diseases such as Malaria and HIV/AIDS, which continue to affecting severely Sub–Saharan African countries. I have co-authored four scientific publications and others are planned to be published this year.
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Angelique Kany Kany Luabeya
Home Institution: University of Cape Town/ South African TB Vaccine Initiative
Host Institution: GSK Siena, Italy
Background Information:
I graduated as a Medical doctor in 1996 at the University of Kinshasa (DR Congo) and hold a Masters degree in Epidemiology from the London School of Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). I joined SATVI in 2009 as a clinical investigator, coming from the Africa Centre for Health and Populations Studies at UKZN where I worked as research clinician. I have been involved as Principal Investigator on the implementation and conduct of new TB vaccines clinical trials (AERAS C035-456, IDRI- TBVPx-203, and VPM1002- ZA-2.13TB) in healthy adult Participants, TB patients and newborns. I am also the principal investigator in a novel TB diagnostic study combining oral swab and PCR technology. I have a particular research interest in the design and conduct of TB diagnostic studies (Tuberculosis case finding by oral swab PCR), clinical immunology studies, nutrition status associated with chronic helminth infection and infectious disease in young children together with health systems operational research in the area of TB prevention in young children.
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Dr Birkneh Tilahun Tadesse
Home Institution: Hawassa University
Host Institution: FIND, Geneva, Malaria and Acute Febrile Syndrome Programme
Background Information:
Dr Tadesse is a pediatrician by training holding the position of assistant professor of pediatrics and child health at Hawassa University. His research interests are on infectious diseases specifically on pediatric infectious diseases. He has 13 publications in peer reviewed journals most of which are on infectious diseases.
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Erick Josephat Mgina
Home Institution: National Institute of Medical Research Tanzania
Host Institution: LIH, EX-CRP
Background Information:
I am a Tanzanian born in Southern part of the country, I am 44 years old, married with three children. I have been employed by National Institute of Medical Research Tanzania since 2010 as assistance research in the data management and statistical analysis department, my education back ground, I did first degree in statistics and two masters in Epidemiology and Public health. currently I have been promoted to research scientist in the same department. As I am more concern with the data, my area of interest is data management and statistical analysis I cut across to support all studies conducted at the centre, I prefer to work on HIV issues.
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Moussa Djimdé 
Home Institution: Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences Technics and Technology of Bamako
Host Institution: LIH, EX-CRP
Background Information:
My medical career began at the Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Bamako in 2008. Since 2004 I have integrated this institution for my MD thesis dissertation. During my employment, I mainly worked as clinical and laboratory field investigator and since 2010 as field coordinator for malaria epidemiological studies and clinical trials. Now, I want to know how to develop a research protocol and improve my skills about the data management. I’m also very eager to learn and apply biostatistical methods to my research data and strengthen the capacity at the Malaria Research and Training Center of the USTTB.
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Nébié Ipyn Eric
Home Institution: Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna (CRSN)
Host Institution: European Vaccine Initiative, EVI, Germany
Background Information:
Graduate as general physician in 2010, I start working in Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna (CRSN) in Burkina Faso as a research fellow in 2011. After the graduation, I was trained on Good Clinical Practices and obtained an interuniversity diploma on vaccinology at Université Numérique francophone des sciences de la santé et du sport-UNF3S and Université polytechnique de Bobo-Dioulasso in 2012. I was mainly involved in clinical research and epidemiological studies focused on malaria (drugs and vaccines development), HIV and Measles as study physician and clinical team leader.
I was also involved in Health systems research principally in childhood interventions monitoring particularly immunization programs and malaria control program activities at health district level. As CRSN is in closed collaboration with the district hospital, I was in charge of tuberculosis and HIV control activities at Nouna health District level and the implementation of clinical trials in district hospital.
Recently, I was regional supervisor of immunizations campaigns (General Measles-Rubella Vaccination and Oral polio vaccination) on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) at regional level in Burkina Faso. My main areas of interest are tropical diseases control and clinical research on vaccines. I am also interested on the harmonization of procedures of clinical research implementation.
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Nimesh Poudyal
Home Institution: BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS)
Host Institution: IVI, South Korea
Background Information:
Currently I am Associate Professor at the Department of Microbiology. Working in a medical school not only allows me to interact with medical graduates during teaching learning activities and keeps me updated but I am also working as a clinical Microbiologist in a capacity of faculty in-charge: Serology unit, CD4 laboratory and Coordinator of Sample Collection and Dispatch unit of Central Laboratory, BPKIHS hospital. My research interest is on diarrhoeal disease among immunocompromised patients and children under the age of 5, with special focus on the coccidian parasites and non typhoidal Salmonella infection. I particularly emphasize on these groups of people as they are the ones who suffer the most because of diarrhoea and these agents have a potential to cause high degree of morbidity and mortality among them.
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NAMBEOLE SOME A. Fabrice
Home Institution: IRSS
Host Institution: European Vaccine Initiative, EVI, Germany
Background Information:
I have been at the Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Direction Régionale (IRSS-DRO) as a Master student since 2007 and after 4 years studies of biology at the Faculty of Sciences Semlalia at the Cadi Ayyad University of Marrakech, Morocco. After my master study, I obtained in 2013 a permanent contract with the Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation of Burkina Faso as research assistant at IRSS-DRO. In 2014, I graduated in PhD in Applied Biology at the Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso with my topic focusing on efficacies of 3 ACTs and selection of Plasmodium falciparum resistance mediating polymorphisms. At the IRSS-DRO, I have been involved in several projects concerning malaria, as coordinator of projects and laboratory activities, as well as in an administrative capacity. I have authored/co-authored articles published in peer reviewed international journals
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Mohammed Solomon Ali
Home Institution: College of Health sciences; Jimma University
Host Institution: AERAS SA/AERAS USA
Brief Background Information:
I was graduated from Jimma University and Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia with B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees. Furthermore, I am about to defend my PhD this year in international health at CIHLMU, Munich. I am working as an assistant professor of Medical Microbiology at College of Health Sciences, Jimma University. I have served the university at different academic ranks since 2005.Currently I am WHO-TDR career development fellow at AERAS South Africa and Rockville, USA.
I have 10 publications on international peer review reputable Journals. I was a personal collaborator of “Epidemiology of PZA resistance tuberculosis in TB clinical trials in Africa“ which was funded by EDCTP with grant number of SP2011.41304.022. Recently, my team won Jimma University mega grant for a project entitled as “Epidemiology of nosocomial infection at Jimma University specialized Hospital wards” which I am the PI.
I do have special training certificate on research ethics, ICH GCP (TOT), National Institute of Health (NIH) computer based clinical research, data analysis, genome fingerprinting and sequencing. I do have excellent communication skill and love to work as a team. I am capable of working under stressful situation where there is a need in times of pressing deadlines. I am good at conceiving, designing and executing genetic epidemiology researches.
I am very much interested in collaborative researches on tuberculosis, bacteria drug resistance and nosocomial infection including clinical trials. I am currently working to develop my capacity on clinical trial designing, management and analysis.
I do have special skills like STATA, SPSS, R, FLOW JO, Gene Mapper, SeqScape software which can be used for analysis of epidemiologic and biomedical data. Furthermore, I do have experience on TB culture together with MGIT960DST, MIRU-VNTR, Capillary sequencing, ELISPOT and Intracellular cytokine staining (ICS).
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SOMBIE Seydou
Home Institution: Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP)
Host Institution: LIH, EX-CRP
Background Information:
During more ten I work in Data management unit as Data manager. I’m the head of this department since five years. I create for each new study data management plan, different SOP, database creation , training data entry clerk, validate data, transfer data to statistician, freeze data….
Actually, I want to improve my knowledge in the data management. Working soon international rule in data management and learning statistics. I hope managing a complex database and to become a biostatistician.
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Clara Atieno Agutu
Home Institution: KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya
Host Institution: GSK Biologicals, Belgium
Background Information
I have trained as a medical doctor in Kenya with a masters degree in Public Health (MPH). I am also currently pursuing an MSc in Infectious Diseases via Distance Learning. I work as a Research Medical Officer at Kemri-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi Kenya. I worked as the lead clinician and study coordinator for a multi-centre HIV clinical trial, REALITY (Reduction of Early Mortality in HIV-infected adults and children starting anti-retroviral therapy http://www.controlledtrials.com/ISRCTN43622374). The study’s objective is to investigate interventions aimed at reducing early mortality during the first three months of starting anti-retroviral therapy, when mortality is the highest in those with CD4 counts less than 100. The primary end-point is all cause mortality at 24 and 48 months after ART initiation. My responsibilities in the trial involved overseeing clinical operations related to the conduct of the trial including recruitment, informed consent procedures, revision of site-specific documents, supervision of staff, clinical care of trial participants and ensuring compliance with regulatory bodies amongst others.
I also provided clinical support to patients at our HIV centre where we see about 80-100 patients a day and clinical support to the Kilifi County Hospital adult in-patient wards where we see between 200-300 HIV positive patients admitted per year. I have a keen interested in infectious diseases particularly HIV ,TB and STIs, and have participated and coordinated a number of web based programmes to strengthen my knowledge in the area as well as increase capacity in our neighbouring facility, Kilifi County Hospital to be able to manage diagnose and manage complicated cases of HIV associated opportunistic infections.
I applied for the EDCTP-TDR fellowship programme to get a broader insight into the vaccines trial pipeline. I wanted an opportunity to learn about the conduct of clinical trials from the synthesis of preclinical data to the onset early clinical trials up to licensure and post marketing surveillance. I wanted to be involved in the clinical research team actively involved in the design and implementation of trials particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
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