Justin Nono Komguep - Capacity Building Abroad
Dr Justin Nono Komguep leads the Immunobiology of Helminth research group at the Division of Immunology, his research is supported by an European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) grant. He has been studying schistosomiasis infection and disease in affected children from rural Cameroon. While murine models of transgenic mice are used in the South African laboratory for in-depth mechanistic assays involving various immunological assays, next generation sequencing, SNPs typing by MassARRAY, microbiome studies and in vitro cellular assays.
To strengthen a South-South collaboration and the impact of the University of Cape Town scholars on the continent, three students who begun their Masters (MSc) studies in 2019 in the Health Sciences (Immunology and Microbiology) of the Catholic University of Central Africa in Cameroon were successfully trained through funds from the EDCTP under Dr Justin Komguep Nono's supervision.
Dr Justin Nono Komguep with EDCTP Grant MSc trainees at graduation
The three students; Erve Kuekom, Francis Konhawa and Josephine Ntankheuh researched on biomarkers of schistosomiasis infection and disease in affected children from rural Cameroon. Findings from these theses were reported to the local authorities and studied communities in January 2020.
Completion of EDCTP grant field work in Cameroon and restitution of findings to school children and community
Article by Bonamy Holtak