Could Vitamin D Protect Foetuses from a Deadly Parasite? GSS 2.0 (3/4) - Seyigbena P. Deo-Gracias Berry

Hosted by ⁠Wealth Okete⁠, The Immunology in Africa Podcast explores narratives at the nexus of immunology & Africa. We ask professors, postdocs, PhD students, and everyone in between to tell us about their journey into immunology, the questions driving their current work, and the impact they hope to make on the continent.To support our efforts towards amplifying African stories of immunology, you can ⁠⁠buy us coffee⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠nominate a guest⁠⁠. --Launching in April 2025, our special TB Immunology series and first-ever disease-focused series dives deep into the science, challenges, and success stories behind the fight to end tuberculosis.We’re joined by leading scientists whose work in TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine development is shaping the current landscape of the disease in Africa and globally.Whether you're actively involved in TB research or simply curious about the field, this experience promises to be both eye-opening and engaging.The first episode in the series features Sara Suliman, an assistant professor in the Division of Experimental Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Her lab focuses on identifying host mechanisms underlying TB risk and pathogenesis. An immunologist by training, Suliman is interested in understanding the immunological determinants of TB risk, progression, and treatment response and developing predictive biomarkers for the disease.This episode explores Suliman's TB work, most of which began during her post-doctoral training at the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, University of Cape Town. In addition, Suliman talks about how she blends hypothesis-driven and exploratory research in her science and why she finds the former 'more intellectually stimulating'.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro02:26 - Earliest steps in TB immunology04:30 - Overview of initial TB immunology projects exploring vaccines and biomarkers07:48 - Transitioning from cancer to infectious disease immunology12:47 - Genetic biomarkers for TB progressors and non-progressors19:06 - More on 'the biomarker study'24:55 - TB heterogeneity29:09 - Hypothesis-driven vs. exploratory science32:38 - The impact of viral co-infections, such as COVID-19, on TB36:41 - What do TB scientists disagree on? 42:34 - Lab culture, mentorship, and collaboration46:30 - On being 'scooped'48:23 - The future of TB in Africa51:23 - Closing remarks53:05 - Outro

This 'bonus' episode celebrates our growth over the past 2+ years and revisits insightful moments from past episodes published in 2024.If any of these highlights interest you, feel free to check out the full episode for a more enriching experience.---Hosted by Wealth Okete, The Immunology in Africa Podcast explores narratives at the nexus of immunology & Africa. We ask professors, postdocs, PhD students, and everyone in between to tell us about their journey into immunology, the questions driving their current work, and the impact they hope to make on the continent.To support our efforts towards amplifying African stories of immunology, you can ⁠buy us coffee⁠ or ⁠nominate a guest⁠. ---Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:04 - Segun Afolaranmi | "Optimising Natural Killer Cells against Cancers"01:14 - Oghenebrume Wariri | "Improving Access to Vaccines in Children"02:46 - Ousmane Traore | "Combating Malaria through Vaccines"03:14 - Samuel Essien-Baidoo | "Vaginal Microbiota and Cervical Cancer Risk in Women"04:12 - Rebecca Chukwuanukwu | "Immunity and Infection in Different Contexts"05:07 - Ane Ogbe | "T Cells Subsets in the Induction of Optimal Antibody Responses"05:42 - Catherine Kibirige | "Improving HIV Diagnosis through the HIVQuant Project"06:19 - Deo-Gracias P. Seyigbena Berry | "Could Vitamin D Protect Foetuses from a Deadly Parasite?"06:51 - Vania Maphossa | "Bridging the Gap: Immune Responses in the African Context"07:38 - Gatien Lokossou | "Immunity in Pregnant Women and Infants"08:12 - Samuel Essien-Baidoo | "Vaginal Microbiota and Cervical Cancer Risk in Women"10:10 - Ane Ogbe | "T Cells Subsets in the Induction of Optimal Antibody Responses"11:34 - Catherine Kibirige | "Improving HIV Diagnosis through the HIVQuant Project"12:08 - Segun Afolaranmi | "Optimising Natural Killer Cells against Cancers"13:15 - Onyeka Chukwudozie | "Outsmarting the Lassa Virus through a Multi-target Vaccine"13:53 - Ane Ogbe | "T Cells Subsets in the Induction of Optimal Antibody Responses"14:18 - Outro

This 'bonus' episode celebrates our growth over the past 2+ years and revisits insightful moments from past episodes published between 2022 and 2023.If any of these highlights interest you, feel free to check out the full episode for a more enriching experience.---Hosted by Wealth Okete, The Immunology in Africa Podcast explores narratives at the nexus of immunology & Africa. We ask professors, postdocs, PhD students, and everyone in between to tell us about their journey into immunology, the questions driving their current work, and the impact they hope to make on the continent.To support our efforts towards amplifying African stories of immunology, you can buy us coffee or nominate a guest. ---Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:15 - Testimony Olumade | "Immunology in Africa: Telling Our Stories"01:36 - Marah Grace Chibwana | "Improving Health Outcomes in Inflammatory Diseases: From COVID-19 to Rheumatoid Arthritis"01:57 - Abena Amoah | "Understanding Variations in Vaccine Responses: What It Means for Africa"02:50 - Sonwabile Dzanibe | "Untieing a Gordian Knot: Mother-to-Infant HIV Exposure"04:01 - Raquel Matavele Chissumba | "Surmounting Hurdles: Charting a Course through the Immune System for Africa"05:17 - Mohamed Ahmed | "Rethinking Tuberculosis: Why Enhancing Immune Responses in Tuberculosis Might be Detrimental"06:01 - Fabien Prodjinotho | "Understanding Neurocysticercosis: How Tapeworm Cysts Thwart & Trigger Epilepsy"06:34 - Dimie Ogoina | "Immunology Talks to Public Health: Africa in Focus"07:15 - Raquel Matavele Chissumba | "Surmounting Hurdles: Charting a Course through the Immune System for Africa"08:03 - Mohamed Ahmed | "Rethinking Tuberculosis: Why Enhancing Immune Responses in Tuberculosis Might be Detrimental"08:58 - Muki Shey | "Carving a Niche: From Malaria to Tuberculosis & MAIT Cells"09:44 - Sonwabile Dzanibe | "Untieing a Gordian Knot: Mother-to-Infant HIV Exposure"10:27 - Dimie Ogoina | "Immunology Talks to Public Health: Africa in Focus"10:50 - Tatenda Murangi | "Decoding the Link between Alpha-Gal Allergy and Parasitic Infections"11:50 - Doudou Georges Niang | "Targeting Galectin-3 in Aggressive Breast Cancers: Implications for African Women"12:14 - Ubong Ekperikpe | "How Obesity Triggers Kidney Diseases: The Role of the Immune System"12:53 - Abena Amoah | "Understanding Variations in Vaccine Responses: What It Means for Africa"13:23 - Chinedu Ugwu | "Unravelling Viral Diseases: How the Immune System Responds to the Lassa Fever Virus"13:47 - Kumba Seddu | "How Sex Differences and Cytokines Shape Immune Responses"14:46 - Marah Grace Chibwana | "Improving Health Outcomes in Inflammatory Diseases: From COVID-19 to Rheumatoid Arthritis"15:30 - Richard Adeleke | "Tackling Viral Diseases through Vaccines: From SARS to Influenza"15:52 - Outro

ImmunoAfrica's Graduate Student Series offers emerging and aspiring immunologists the opportunity to connect with, learn from, and be inspired by some of the most talented immunology graduate students from Africa. For its second edition, this year, we peek into the fascinating work and busy lives of 4 graduate students (Vania, Onyeka, Deo-Gracias, and Segun), representing 3 African countries: Benin, Mozambique, and Nigeria. Our fourth and last guest is Segun Afolaranmi. Segun trained as a medical doctor at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and went on to complete his intern year of clinical practice. He developed a keen interest in cancer research and immunology towards the end of medical school, after noticing the grossly limited treatment options available to cancer patients in Nigeria. The desire to develop effective anticancer therapies that'd fit this context led him to study for a master's in Integrated Immunology at the University of Oxford, as a Clarendon Scholar. Shortly after his master's, he joined the de la Roche lab at Cancer Research UK, Cambridge Institute, in January 2022 to pursue his PhD in Cancer Immunology, with funding from the Gates Cambridge Trust. His PhD research seeks to make immune cells better cancer fighters by modifying an important developmental pathway. Alongside his scientific interests, Segun is passionate about expanding training opportunities for young scientists in Africa and working with others to accelerate access to cancer therapeutics on the continent. He is a co-founder of The Ganglion Initiative (TGI). This episode explores his journey to becoming fascinated with cancers and immunology, highlights what makes natural killer (NK) cells special to him, and curates his perspectives on local support for scientific research and development in Africa. Female Intro/Outro Voice-over: Ruth Ogboye Timestamps:00:00 - intro, about guest02:56 - career background, early journey into immunology05:19 - varied experience and exposures shape research interests08:19 - how interest in cancer immunology developed11:15 - updates on PhD research (making immune cells better cancer fighters) 16:37 - about natural killer (NK) cells 20:48 - cancers he's interested in tackling 22:38 - on collaborations (in cancer research; in Africa) 25:54 - local support for research and development in Africa 30:44 - PhD experience (time management, core values, lab skills and mistakes, etc.)39:38 - about The Ganglion Initiative43:36 - next steps post-PhD45:31 - fun tasks (which scientists in your field of study inspire you; transform CANCER into an immunology acronym)49:00 - outro

ImmunoAfrica's Graduate Student Series offers emerging and aspiring immunologists the opportunity to connect with, learn from, and be inspired by some of the most talented immunology graduate students from Africa. For its second edition, this year, we peek into the fascinating work and busy lives of 4 graduate students (Vania, Onyeka, Deo-Gracias, and Segun), representing 3 African countries: Benin, Mozambique, and Nigeria. Our third guest is Seyigbena P. Deo-Gracias Berry. Deo-Gracias is a PhD student at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany, where she researches interactions between mothers and foetuses, in the context of immune function and tropical diseases. For her PhD project, she is trying to understand how infection with parasitic worms, particularly schistosoma found in fresh water snails, modulates vitamin D levels and immune function during pregnancy. Prior to joining TUM, she studied for master's in Cell Biology and Immunology at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin, exploring malaria infection, also in the context of pregnancy. In this episode, Deo-Gracias discusses her research on vitamin D and schistosomiasis, highlighting some of its implications for women and infants in regions endemic to the parasitic disease. She also talks about her love for the vitamin D-enriching African sun and reminisces about some of the mistakes that have punctuated her journey and how she's managed to navigate and learn from them. Female Intro/Outro Voice-over: Ruth Ogboye. Timestamps: 00:00 – intro 01:25 – early career journey, entry into immunology 07:10 – MSc project (how malaria infection during pregnancy shapes infant immunity) 11:15 – PhD project (vitamin D vs schistosomiasis infection in mother-foetus pairs) – findings and potential implications [14:52-17:27] – about schistosomiasis [18:52-22:32] – vitamin D and immune modulation 31:46 – missing Africa, finding balance, and time management 38:44 – useful skills 41:34 – dealing with mistakes 49:57 – core values and how they inform her work-life 53:27 – fun task (what’s your favourite immune cell and why?) 55:32 – outro

ImmunoAfrica's Graduate Student Series offers emerging and aspiring immunologists the opportunity to connect with, learn from, and be inspired by some of the most talented immunology graduate students from Africa. For its second edition, this year, we peek into the fascinating work and busy lives of 4 graduate students (Vania, Onyeka, Deo-Gracias, and Segun), representing 3 African countries: Benin, Mozambique, and Nigeria. Our second guest is Onyeka Chukwudozie. Onyeka Chukwudozie is a virologist, immunologist, and structural biologist from Nigeria, with a bachelor's degree in Cell Biology and Genetics from the University of Lagos. Currently a PhD candidate at the University of California, San Diego, and a member of the Erica Ollmann Saphire Lab at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, his research targets the notorious Lassa virus which has caused multiple outbreaks in West Africa for decades. He is leading research on the largest study to discover antibodies against the virus in Nigeria. Onyeka has received both the Curci and Merkin fellowships, collaborating with institutions such as IAVI, to advance studies on the Lassa virus vaccine. In this episode, Onyeka talks about his self-initiated journey to becoming fascinated with the field of immunology. He also shares updates on his current research to tease out antibody immune responses to the Lassa virus and develop a vaccine against its different lineages in Nigeria. Learn more about his work on ResearchGate. Female Intro/Outro Voice-over: Ruth Ogboye Timestamps: 00:00 - intro, about guest 02:45 - why immunology / how did you get into immunology 05:36 - about PhD research project (scope, implications, applications, etc.) 14:00 - how multidisciplinary expertise informs research 19:28 - PhD experience (time management and unwinding, mentoring and supporting junior and aspiring scientists, etc.) 27:07 - useful skills for graduate school success 32:07 - core values and principles 37:33 - next steps post-PhD 40:25 - fun task (transform ONYEKA into an immunology acronym; how many journal articles do you read in a day?) 45:16 - closing remarks 47:20 - outro

ImmunoAfrica's Graduate Student Series offers emerging and aspiring immunologists the opportunity to connect with, learn from, and be inspired by some of the most talented immunology graduate students from Africa. For its second edition, this year, we peek into the fascinating work and busy lives of 4 graduate students (Vania, Onyeka, Deo-Gracias, and Segun), representing 3 African countries: Benin, Mozambique, and Nigeria. Our first guest is Vania Maphossa. Vania Maphossa is a PhD student in Biosciences and Public Health at Eduardo Mondiane University, in Maputo City, Mozambique. Before commencing her PhD, she earned a bachelor's in Biology and Health and a Master's in Public Health at the same institution. Her current research largely focuses on unravelling immune responses to diseases endemic in Mozambique, including paediatric cancers , tuberculosis, and COVID-19. As part of her work, she also leads the Program for Endemic Diseases of Major Public Health Impact (PDEGIS) at the Mozambican National Institute of Health. -- In this episode, Vania talks about her research work and its implications for the development of vaccines and therapeutics. She also shares some of the challenges that come with doing a PhD in Africa, highlighting valuable insights for governments and other scientists. Female Intro/Outro Voice-over: Ruth Ogboye Timestamps: 00:00 - intro, about guest 02:25 - how did you get into the field immunology 04:40 - what questions are you currently addressing in the field 08:54 - updates on PhD projects, including findings, implications, reception, etc. 25:07 - next steps post-PhD 27:52 - PhD experience (time management techniques, useful skills, making and dealing with mistakes, etc.) 34:55 - thoughts on local support for PhD students 39:40 - fun task (if not immunology, then what?, describe your research to a five-year-old) 42:22 - outro

Dr. Ane Ogbe is an Associate Scientific Director at Moderna. Previously a postdoctoral immunologist at the University of Oxford, her work contributed to the current understanding of HIV and COVID-19 immunology. Her research has been largely driven by the desire to gain insights into the dynamic role T cells play in the development and maintenance of immunity to infectious diseases.  She began her scientific career in Nigeria, where she studied for a bachelor's in biological science at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Afterwards, she completed both her master's and Ph.D at Brunel University London where she identified a new role for 2 genes (Egr2 and 3) involved in regulating how T follicular helper (Tfh) cells differentiate.  For her postdoc, she joined the University of Oxford, collaborating with the Duke University – The National Institutes of Health CHAVI-ID consortium to investigate how CD4+ Tfh drive immune responses that lead to the development of broadly neutralising antibodies (bNAbs) in chronic HIV infection. She also worked as the lead immunologist in the RIO (Rockefellar, Imperial and Oxford University Collaboration) HIV clinical trial on bNAbs. During the pandemic, Dr. Ogbe applied her expertise to characterising SARS-COV-2 immunology in natural infection and vaccination across immunocompetent and immunocompromised cohorts. Her work provided insights into the magnitude, durability, and quality of the immune response and informed vaccination policies. She has now pivoted into industry where she continues to lead the development of immunological methods profiling immune cells to address questions relating to the quantity and quality of immune responses.  Dr. Ogbe is passionate about public engagement and spends her pastime, gardening, travelling or more recently, learning to sew. To learn more about her work or connect with her, visit, ⁠https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ane-Ogbe and https://www.linkedin.com/in/aneogbe. The Immunology in Africa Podcast is on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/immuno-africa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, https://x.com/immunoafrica_ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, https://youtube.com/@immunoafrica_. Follow/Subscribe to keep track of new episodes and other immunology updates. Time stamps:  00:00 - intro 01:34 - early beginnings, academic and research journey, including experience learning in Nigeria vs. UK 08:24 - research project highlights: background, findings, and implications [T follicular helper cells & antibody function] 14:10 - (contd.) HIV and broadly neutralising antibodies (bNAbs) 21:22 - (contd.) COVID-19 vaccines 24:21 - transitioning to industry 28:04 - tips and pieces of advice for scientists interested in industry roles 32:46 - efforts to support science research, education, and mentorship in Nigeria/Africa + potential ideas for those interested in doing the same 43:07 - thriving through challenges 49:06 - closing remarks 52:54 - outro

Dr. Catherine Kibirige trained as a biochemist at the University of Bath, before earning a doctorate in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at The Johns Hopkins University. She is currently a Research Manager at Imperial College London. Following a childhood interest, she has been involved in HIV-1 clinical research alongside large epidemiological cohort studies for over 20 years. She currently leads 'The HIVQuant Project' - www.hivquant.com which she founded to develop a special HIV quantification kit. It is hoped that this ambient-temperature HIV-1 quantification kit will address challenges associated with HIV diagnosis and treatment monitoring in resource-constrained settings. She is passionate about providing alternative low-cost treatment and monitoring tools for individuals living with HIV in these settings. In addition to developing and optimising this kit, her work on HIV has also spanned elucidating cytotoxic (CD8) T cell mediated-cell death and investigating the relationship between the replicative capacities of HIV-1 and CD8-mediated viral inhibition. Dr. Kibirige is eager to translate her work to field and clinical settings and welcomes funding and collaborative opportunities aligned with this goal. To learn more about her work and the HIVQuant Project, visit, www.hivquant.com, https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/c.kibirige, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Catherine-Kibirige. The Immunology in Africa Podcast is on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow/Subscribe to keep track of new episodes and other immunology updates. Time stamps: 00:00 - intro 01:14 - early beginnings, academic and research journey 07:03 - initial foray into HIV quantification 13:23 - research project highlights: findings and implications 19:47 - what is the HIVQuant Project all about? 26:44 - current stage of the project: challenges and progress so far; next steps 30:35 - collaborations within Africa (and elsewhere) 35:02 - comments on mentorship 39:00 - comments on research in Africa vs. the diaspora (opportunities and challenges) 47:08 - closing remarks 49:44 - outro

Dr. Ousmane Traoré is an immunology and parasitology researcher currently working as Laboratory Manager at the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN / URCN) in Burkina Faso. He was a key figure in several malaria vaccine trials, including the phase II and III trials for R21/Matrix-M and the phase II trial for RH5/Matrix-M. His primary responsibilities include overseeing lab activities associated with clinical trials. Dr. Traoré, who holds a PhD in Applied Biology from Université Nazi Boni in Bobo-Dioulasso, has made significant contributions to our understanding of the immune correlates of malaria protection. He has held numerous research positions and collaborated with national and international institutions, including the Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique (CNRST) and the University of Antwerp. Dr. Traoré has also received numerous travel awards and grants for his work on malaria and other infectious diseases. He has served as the Principal Investigator for several significant projects, including the GSK Supported Studies Programme: Africa Open Lab 2023 on placental malaria biomarkers and the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) Small Grants Programme 2021 on postpartum malaria. He has also served as Co-Principal Investigator for a project funded by the National Fund for Research and Innovation for Development (FONRID ) Grants Programme 2021 that examined the efficacy of the hepatitis B vaccine in Burkina Faso. He has presented his research at numerous international conferences and has written extensively in prestigious scientific journals. His commitment to advancing public health in low- and middle-income countries is reflected in his ongoing research and numerous scientific contributions. This episode spotlights Dr. Ousmane Traoré's efforts and contributions that led to the approval of the current malaria vaccines. He takes us on a journey through his work on the field and in the lab and highlights the indispensable role community engagement plays in combating vaccine hesitancy and boosting vaccinations. Connect with him/learn more about his work ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ (https://crun.bf/researchers/ousmane-traore/) and across ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ousmane-traore-13b79933/)⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠ResearchGate (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ousmane-Traore-4)⁠⁠⁠⁠. The Immunology in Africa Podcast is on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://linkedin.com/company/immuno-africa), ⁠⁠⁠⁠X (https://x.com/immunoafrica_)⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/immunoafrica_). Follow/Subscribe to keep track of new episodes and other immunology updates. Time stamps: 00:00 - intro 01:30 - background, academic and research journey 08:41 - contributions towards the approval of the current malaria vaccines 12:39 - challenges with clinical trials in Africa: the past, present, and future 25:43 - more on malaria vaccines: why they took so long to develop; current limitations; future perspectives 36:34 - engaging local communities to boost vaccinations 44:11 - closing remarks 47:28 - outro