Biography: I am a PhD student on the University of Glasgow Integrative infection biology Wellcome Trust PhD programme – first cohort (2020). I am passionate about parasite vector interaction driven by the need to have a malaria free world after experiencing the malaria disease burden in Malawi, Sub-Saharan Africa. I graduated with a BSc in medical laboratory sciences at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in Blantyre, Malawi, which I completed in 2011. I then joined a diagnostic laboratory in Malawi’s largest referral hospital cementing my understanding of the burden of malaria and my passion to be part of the solution. In 2016 I started my research journey by joining the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome trust clinical research program as a research intern. Specifically, my work focused on exploring genetic diversity in Plasmodium falciparum. In 2017, I secured a Wellcome trust masters fellowship to study a master’s degree in Molecular biology of parasites and disease vectors at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. My MSc research was an investigation of copy number variants in insecticide resistant Anopheles gambiae population and its potential role in metabolic insecticide resistance. Post Msc I focused on a project to identify genetic drivers of insecticide resistance in Anopheles gambiae in Chikwawa, Malawi.

Research Interests: I joined the Marti Lab in May 2021. My research question is on genetic determinants of malaria transmission under the supervision of Prof Matthias Marti and Dr Virginia Howick. My specific focus is on candidate genes with a potential role in Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte development and infectiousness in the Anopheles vector. My work will involve reverse genetics, parasite culture, sexual commitment assays and mosquito infections. I am so excited to have this amazing opportunity with a research question exploring an important aspect in the parasite development and transmission, which could contribute to discovery of transmission blocking targets, supported by leaders in malaria research.