Person

I am a research scientist with a passion for understanding and tackling infectious diseases; with experience in cholera and other diarrheal diseases. During my Master\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s degree journey at the University of Zambia, I led a project investigating how long immunity lasts after people receive the Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV). Our findings showed that the protective antibodies from the vaccine drop off quite quickly, highlighting the need to also study how natural infection affects long-term immunity.
Currently, I am pursuing my PhD in Microbiology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. My research focuses on the epidemiology and evolution of Vibrio cholerae-the bacterium that causes cholera-in Zambia. I am working to map out which strains are circulating, understand their resistance to antibiotics, and identify the factors that make them more or less virulent. I am also deeply interested in how the human immune system responds to cholera infection, which could help shape better prevention and treatment strategies.
Collaboration is at the heart of my work. I am fortunate to work alongside experts from the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Zambia National Public Health Institute, the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the United Kingdom, and the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation in South Africa. Together, we are using genomic tools to get a clearer picture of cholera in Zambia, both from the perspective of the bacteria and the people affected.