0709 203000 - Nairobi 0709 983000 - Kilifi
0709 203000 - NRB 0709 983000 - Kilifi
0709 203000 - NRB | 0709 983000 - Kilifi

Bioscience

Bio

George is the Bioinformatics lead at KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Biomedical Science and Technology from Egerton University and a PhD in Biosciences from the Open University (UK). George works in the field of pathogen genomics and has established genomic sequencing platforms for a number of respiratory pathogens and viruses of public health importance. He worked with the GeMVi project to establish genomic and bioinformatics capacity in East-Africa. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he established genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the country and in the region working closely with regional bodies such as Africa-CDC and WHO-AFRO to support sequencing and capacity building in the region. George is a member of several technical working groups on genomic surveillance and bioinformatics infrastructure.

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Current Work

George took a leading role in developing pipelines for SARS-CoV-2 sequence analysis He utilises bioinformatics approaches in studies of virus evolution and transmission. His current project investigates the role of minority variants in virus evolution and in reconstructing virus transmission chains.

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Recent publications

Genomic and clinical epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in coastal Kenya: insights into variant circulation, reinfection, and multiple lineage importations during a post-pandemic wave.
Lambisia, A. W., Katama, E. N., Moraa, E., Mwita, J. M., Gallagher, K., Mutunga, M., Nyale, E., Omungala, J., Mwanga, M., Murunga, N., Nyiro, J., Nyagwange, J., Sande, C., Bejon, P., Githinji, G., Dellicour, S., Phan, M. V. T., Cotten, M., Ochola-Oyier, L. I., Holmes, E. C., Agoti, C. N.
BMC Glob Public Health, (2025). 3:80

Epidemiological dynamics of influenza B virus across multiple seasons in Kenya and Uganda inferred from sequence data, 2010-2021.
Nyarango, B. K., Owuor, D. C., Isoe, E., Mutunga, M., Cheruiyot, R., Katama, E. N., Makori, T., Lambisia, A., Nyiro, J., Githinji, G., Kiguli, S., Olupot-Olupot, P., Maitland, K., Agoti, C. N.
BMC Infect Dis, (2025). 25:1080

GRAPEVNE - Graphical Analytical Pipeline Development Environment for Infectious Diseases.
Brittain, J. S., Tsui, J., Inward, R., Gutierrez, B., Mwanyika, G., Tegally, H., Huynh, T., Githinji, G., Tessema, S. K., McCrone, J. T., Bhatt, S., Dasgupta, A., Ratcliffe, S., Kraemer, M. U. G.
Wellcome Open Res, (2025). 10:279

Deploying Metagenomics to Characterize Microbial Pathogens During Outbreak of Acute Febrile Illness Among Children in Tanzania.
Mziray, S. R., Githinji, G., de Laurent, Z. R., Mbelele, P. M., Mohammed, K. S., Wadugu, B. D., Grundy, B. S., Heysell, S. K., Mpagama, S. G., Chilongola, J. O.
Pathogens, (2025). 14:

Emergence and transmission dynamics of the FY.4 Omicron variant in Kenya.
Musundi, S., Mwanga, M., Lambisia, A., Morobe, J. M., Murunga, N., Moraa, E., Ndwiga, L., Cheruiyot, R., Musyoki, J., Mutunga, M., Guzman-Rincon, L. M., Sande, C., Mwangangi, J., Bejon, P., Ochola-Oyier, L. I., Nokes, D. J., Agoti, C. N., Nyiro, J., Githinji, G.
Virus Evol, (2025). 11:veaf035