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

Clinical Research

Bio

Jay is a consultant paediatrician and sub-specialist in paediatric infectious diseases and immunology based at the KEMRI Centre for Geographic Medicine Research Coast and Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi, Kenya. Jay is the Founder and co-Director of the Childhood Acute Illness & Nutrition (CHAIN) Network of partners in Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Burkina Faso), South Asia (Pakistan, Bangladesh), UK, USA, Canada and The Netherlands. The CHAIN Network is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. The team aims to better understand infectious, immune, metabolic, nutritional, health systems and social pathways to childhood mortality to identify actionable interventions through an epidemiological cohort, systems biology analysis pipeline, social science platform and a multicentre clinical trials platform. Jay joined the KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Collaborative Research Programme in Kilifi, Kenya in 1997. He undertook a Wellcome Trust Research Training Fellowship on invasive bacterial infections and their relationships with malaria, HIV and malnutrition. After completing specialist training in paediatrics and sub-specialist training in paediatric clinical immunology and infectious diseases in the UK, Jay returned to Kilifi.

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Current Work

The focus of his clinical research is serious infection and survival in vulnerable groups of young infants and children, teaching, training and mentorship. The research group addresses aetiology, clinical features and risks for mortality of serious infections in infants and children; mechanistic studies including microbiology, antimicrobial resistance, immunology, metabolomics and proteomics; and clinical trials, including early pharmacokinetics and safety trials, and large international multicentre phase III trials on antimicrobial and nutritional interventions in vulnerable paediatric populations. Jay is involved in the Kenyan national training programme on integrated management of severe acute malnutrition and is an expert adviser to the Ministries of Health and the World Health Organisation.

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Research Groups

Recent publications

Persistent immune, coagulation and cardiac dysregulation are correlated with later post-discharge mortality in children with severe malnutrition.
Kamau, B., Mudibo, E. O., Wechessa, C., Omer, E., Gichuki, B. M., Mburu, D. M., Mwalekwa, L., Timbwa, M., Thitiri, J., Ngari, M. M., Berkley, J. A., Njunge, J. M.
BMC Med, (2026). :

The effect of a 5-day course of azithromycin on Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage and antimicrobial resistance among Kenyan children discharged from hospital.
Libby, T. E., Karani, A., Tickell, K. D., Akech, D., Singa, B., Rwigi, D., Kariuki, K., Onamu, N., Ounga, D., Berkley, J. A., Walson, J. L., Scott, J. A. G., Pavlinac, P. B.
J Infect Dis, (2026). :

Distribution of capsule and O types in Klebsiella pneumoniae causing neonatal sepsis in Africa and South Asia: A meta-analysis of genome-predicted serotype prevalence to inform potential vaccine coverage.
Stanton, T. D., Keegan, S. P., Abdulahi, J. A., Amulele, A. V., Bates, M., Heinz, E., Hooda, Y., Hu, W., Jain, K., Kanwar, S., Magobo, R., Olwagen, C. P., Tembo, J. M., Sonda, T., Strysko, J., Tigoi, C. C., Amin, S. A., Bittinger, K., Cornick, J., Foster-Nyarko, E., Gumbi, W., Hotwani, A., Iqbal, N., Jones, S. M., Kabir, F., Khan, W., Musyani, C. L., McGann, C. M., Mittal, V., Moustafa, A. M., Musicha, P., Mwansa, J. C. L., Ndumba, M. L., Odih, E. E., Omuoyo, D. O., Pearse, O., Phillips, L. T., Planet, P. J., Rasool, A. A., Rodrigues, C. M. C., Sands, K., Tanmoy, A. M., Theiller, E., Zuza, A. M., Basu, S., Chan, G. J., Iregbu, K. C., Mazarati, J. B., Alemayehu, S. S., Walsh, T. R., Zahra, R., Dramowski, A., Fwoloshi, S., Labi, A. K., Madrid, L., Obeng-Nkrumah, N., Ojok, D., Wadugu, B. D., Whitelaw, A. C., Bethou, A., Bhargava, A., Jindal, A., Nanavati, R. N., Prasad, P. S., Sastry, A., Farooqi, J. Q., Ghanchi, N., Jehan, F., Khan, E., Agarwal, R. K., Aiken, A. M., Berkley, J. A., Coffin, S. E., Feasey, N. A., Govender, N. P., Hamer, D. H., Madhi, S. A., Nisar, M. I., Saha, S. K., Saha, S., Sankar, M. J., Wyres, K. L., Holt, K. E.
PLoS Med, (2026). 23:e1004879

Determining the dose-response relationship for pneumococcal conjugate vaccines: a nested analysis of the fractional dose PCV trial.
Martinez-de-Albeniz, I., Bottomley, C., Lucinde, R., Kaniu, M. W., Badaud, S., Mutahi, M., Mwalekwa, L., Ragab, S., Twi-Yeboah, L., Berkley, J. A., Hamaluba, M., Karani, A., Shangala, J., Otiende, M., Gardiner, E., Mugo, D., Smith, P. G., Tabu, C., Were, F., Goldblatt, D., Scott, J. A. G., Gallagher, K. E.
Vaccine, (2026). 73:128186

Pharmacokinetics and safety of fosfomycin and flomoxef administered as part of neonatal sepsis treatment (NeoSep1 Part 1).
Bekker, A., Panjasawatwong, N., Hill, L. F., Stohr, W., Walker, A. S., Ellis, S., Dramowski, A., Whitelaw, A., Obiero, C., Berkley, J. A., Makazi, A., Velaphi, S., Thomas, R., Magagula, P., Abrahams, I., Nakwa, F. L., Barday, M. M., Van Kwawegen, A., Pillay, K., Gastine, S., Standing, J. F., Skoutari, P., Schiavone, F., Sharland, M., O'Brien, S., Bielicki, J. A., Cressey, T. R.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother, (2025). :e0112625