Bioscience

Bio

James joined the Programme in 2018 as a joint fellow between KWTRP and the Pirbright Institute, UK. At the Pirbright Institute, his research was focused on setting up a platform for foot and mouth disease, capsid specific single bovine B-cell sorting, B- cell sequencing, antibody expression and functionality assays in Prof. John Hammonds lab. In 2019 he came back to Prof. George Warimwe’s group and focussed on studying arboviruses including Rift Valley fever, Chikungunya and dengue, designing constructs for vaccine development and serological assays development to study these viruses. He is also the biosafety officer in the Programme. James studied BSc Biochemistry degree from Kenyatta University, Kenya. He then went to Wageningen University and Research centre (WUR), the Netherlands where he studied a MSc in Molecular life science (Biomedical research). His PhD research conducted at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kenya and WUR focused on identification of novel Theileria parva antigens for development of a subunit vaccine for control of East Coast fever in Africa.

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Current Work

My current research focuses on development and validation of serological assays including 1) multiplexing pathogens such as arboviruses for sero-surveillance through the Luminex platform. This involves identification of target antigens, construct design, expression and purification of the recombinant proteins and their conjugation for multiplex testing. 2) Development of viral neutralization protocols and ELISA protocols to study these viruses. Recently, contributed to the development of SARS-CoV-2 ELISA and neutralization assays, the former has been used extensively to determine seroprevalence of anti- SARS-CoV-2 IgG in different target groups and was the first in Africa to estimate the extent of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in this population. My research also focusses on SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody discovery including single B-cell sorting, B- cell sequencing, sequence analysis, recombinant antibody expression and assays to establish their functionality.

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Recent publications

Safety and immunogenicity of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine in adults in Kenya: a phase 1/2 single-blind, randomised controlled trial.
Hamaluba, M., Sang, S., Orindi, B., Njau, I., Karanja, H., Kamau, N., Gitonga, J. N., Mugo, D., Wright, D., Nyagwange, J., Kutima, B., Omuoyo, D., Mwatasa, M., Ngetsa, C., Agoti, C., Cheruiyot, S., Nyaguara, A., Munene, M., Mturi, N., Oloo, E., Ochola-Oyier, L., Mumba, N., Mauncho, C., Namayi, R., Davies, A., Tsofa, B., Nduati, E. W., Aliyan, N., Kasera, K., Etyang, A., Boyd, A., Hill, A., Gilbert, S., Douglas, A., Pollard, A., Bejon, P., Lambe, T., Warimwe, G.
Wellcome Open Res, (2023). 8:182

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and implications for population immunity: Evidence from two Health and Demographic Surveillance System sites in Kenya, February-December 2022.
Kagucia, E. W., Ziraba, A. K., Nyagwange, J., Kutima, B., Kimani, M., Akech, D., Ng'oda, M., Sigilai, A., Mugo, D., Karanja, H., Gitonga, J., Karani, A., Toroitich, M., Karia, B., Otiende, M., Njeri, A., Aman, R., Amoth, P., Mwangangi, M., Kasera, K., Ng'ang'a, W., Voller, S., Ochola-Oyier, L. I., Bottomley, C., Nyaguara, A., Munywoki, P. K., Bigogo, G., Maitha, E., Uyoga, S., Gallagher, K. E., Etyang, A. O., Barasa, E., Mwangangi, J., Bejon, P., Adetifa, I. M. O., Warimwe, G. M., Scott, J. A. G., Agweyu, A.
Influenza Other Respir Viruses, (2023). 17:e13173

Symptom prevalence and secondary attack rate of SARS-CoV-2 in rural Kenyan households: A prospective cohort study.
Gallagher, K. E., Nyiro, J., Agoti, C. N., Maitha, E., Nyagwange, J., Karani, A., Bottomley, C., Murunga, N., Githinji, G., Mutunga, M., Ochola-Oyier, L. I., Kombe, I., Nyaguara, A., Kagucia, E. W., Warimwe, G., Agweyu, A., Tsofa, B., Bejon, P., Scott, J. A. G., Nokes, D. J.
Influenza Other Respir Viruses, (2023). 17:e13185

A Customizable Suite of Methods to Sequence and Annotate Cattle Antibodies.
Ramirez Valdez, K., Nzau, B., Dorey-Robinson, D., Jarman, M., Nyagwange, J., Schwartz, J. C., Freimanis, G., Steyn, A. W., Warimwe, G. M., Morrison, L. J., Mwangi, W., Charleston, B., Bonnet-Di Placido, M., Hammond, J. A.
Vaccines (Basel), (2023). 11:

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in three Kenyan health and demographic surveillance sites, December 2020-May 2021.
Etyang, A. O., Adetifa, I., Omore, R., Misore, T., Ziraba, A. K., Ng'oda, M. A., Gitau, E., Gitonga, J., Mugo, D., Kutima, B., Karanja, H., Toroitich, M., Nyagwange, J., Tuju, J., Wanjiku, P., Aman, R., Amoth, P., Mwangangi, M., Kasera, K., Ng'ang'a, W., Akech, D., Sigilai, A., Karia, B., Karani, A., Voller, S., Agoti, C. N., Ochola-Oyier, L. I., Otiende, M., Bottomley, C., Nyaguara, A., Uyoga, S., Gallagher, K., Kagucia, E. W., Onyango, D., Tsofa, B., Mwangangi, J., Maitha, E., Barasa, E., Bejon, P., Warimwe, G. M., Scott, J. A. G., Agweyu, A.
PLOS Glob Public Health, (2022). 2:e0000883