Highlights & Key Insights - 2022, 2023

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 fourth episode in the series features Solomon Jauro, a veterinarian and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, where he studies tuberculosis in non-human primates (macaque models). Solomon trained as a veterinarian and obtained his master's degree at the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, before proceeding to the University of Pretoria, South Africa, for his PhD.Unlike previous guests, Solomon's work on TB only took off during his postdoctoral fellowship, as his earlier work had focused on antimicrobial resistance and anthrax vaccine immune responses. In this episode, he talks about how his research on macaques co-infected with TB and simian immunodeficiency virus, SIV (a HIV-like virus) could shape current understanding of human TB-HIV coinfection, in the context BCG vaccine-induced immune responses.In addition to sharing what it'd take for his findings to be translated into humans, he also reflected on why African institutions should create structures that foster collaboration, particularly among young scientists.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:13 - MSc/PhD project; getting into TB02:03 - More on PhD project: anthrax vaccines05:25 - Macaques as 'ideal' models for understanding human TB08:51 - TB-SIV co-infection in macaques10:32 - Evaluating TB/HIV immune responses from intravenous vs intradermal BCG administration I16:33 - BCG'osis in humans18:09 - Evaluating TB/HIV immune responses from intravenous vs intradermal BCG administration II21:48 - SIV viral load and BCG-induced TB protection29:24 - Attenuated BCG for juvenile macaques32:08 - Translating findings from macaque models to human patients32:56 - Does BCG'osis associate with vaccination routes?36:00 - If not TB, then what?38:00 - Closing remarks: how African institutions can foster collaboration among scientists41:20 - Outro

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 third episode in the series features Paul Ogongo, an assistant professional researcher and former postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco. Originally from Kenya, Paul trained in his home country and South Africa before moving to UCSF for a postdoctoral position. His work has mostly explored T cell responses to TB, highlighting the roles of an important immune cell regulator, IL-17, in the control or progression of the disease. At UCSF, Paul's investigation of T cell-associated immune responses to TB seeks to unravel distinct antigens that could improve future vaccine design against TB. Till date, BCG remains the only approved vaccine against TB; although several other potential candidates are in clinical trials.In this episode, Paul shares key highlights from his work on TB antigens and the promise they hold for design of vaccines that could prevent TB disease progression. He also reflects on some of his experiences with failure and the key advances he anticipates in TB immunology over the next decade. Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:39 - Unravelling the TB spectrum (active TB vs. subclinical TB; TB exposure vs. TB control)08:02 - On why 'latent TB' isn't truly 'latent'09:15 - Investigating active TB (PhD research project and findings)16:09 - Studying TB at the lungs vs in blood20:09 - Evaluating T cell responses to rare variable antigens (findings and implications)32:04 - TB in diabetic individuals36:22 - Dealing with failure 41:49 - Closing remarks: TB immunology over the coming decade46:43 - Outro

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 second episode in the series features Simon Kimuda, a postdoctoral researcher in the Doores Lab at Kings College London. His work has largely focused on understanding antibody responses to tuberculosis, an area of research which remains underexplored in the field.Simon leverages techniques in immunology and molecular biology to understand immune correlates of protection and inform the design of novel vaccines against respiratory conditions such as tuberculosis and hantavirus infections. Outside of research, he actively contributes to mentorship and career development initiatives, enabling access to career growth opportunities for young scientists.This episode explores Simon's journey in TB immunology, particularly antibodies, which has spanned more than a decade and earned him a Crick African Network Fellowship. Simon also talks about why we should pay more attention to TB stigma and embrace new paradigms to understanding TB.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:29 - Earliest steps in science and immunology 04:15 - Working with TB09:30 - Heterologous (non-TB) antibody responses in people with active TB15:02 - More on TB antibody responses | affinity and avidity17:10 - Antibody responses in TB vaccines: BCG and future vaccines 23:45 - Crick African Network Fellowship | TB growth inhibition; antibody responses to TB surface sugars31:11 - Linking current postdoctoral research on hantaviruses and interest in TB36:50 - What's next, if funding was not a limitation39:55 - What current TB paradigms need to change in Africa44:45 - Closing remarks | The importance of mentorship46:27 - Outro

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