Bio

Tom is Professor of Haemoglobinopathy Research at Imperial College, London. He is also the Head of the Human Genetics Group at the Programme. He qualified in Medicine from Westminster Medical School in London before completing specialist training in Paediatrics and Infectious Diseases. He completed his PhD in molecular parasitology in Oxford University and has subsequently worked in research directed at red cell genetic defects for more than 30 years. He has been based full time in Kilifi since 2000 while also holding positions in Oxford University and Imperial College London, UK.

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Current Work

Tom’s group is focused on the interactions between human genetic factors and infectious diseases, with a particular emphasis on malaria. His group address these questions through a range of approaches, including field-based epidemiology, clinical and laboratory-based studies. Tom has supported numerous PhD students over the last 20 years, many of which have gone on to become independent scientific leaders. Collaborations; MalariaGen Consortium in Oxford, the Mbale Clinical Research Institute in Uganda, The MORU Unit in Thailand and Julian Rayner in Cambridge. Research Group; Dr Sophie Uyoga – Post Doc Dr Silvia Kariuki – Post Doc Mr Alex Macharia – PhD student Mr Charles Kiyaga – PhD student Mr Gideon Nyutu – Data manager Other Roles; Member, Wellcome Expert Advisory Committee into Open Access, 2016- Member of the Anemia and Country Expert Groups of the Global Burden of Diseases Study, 2015-2018 Chair, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Scientific Steering Committee, 2009-13 Member of the Board of Trustees, INDEPTH Network of Demographic Surveillance Sites, 2007-2009 Member, Trial Steering Committee, STOPMIP Malaria in Pregnancy Trial, Kisumu, Kenya. 2012-2015 Member of the EviMalaR EU FP7 Network of Excellence, 2009-2015 Member of the INDEPTH working group on the non-specific effects of vaccines, 2008- Member of the Anemia and Country Expert Groups of the Global Burden of Diseases Study, 2013 Member of the organising committee, Oxford Tropical Network Meeting, Laos, February 2011 Core Member of the Hemoglobinopathies and Cross-Cutting Issues Expert Groups, Global Burden of Diseases Study, 2007-10 Member of Technical Advisory Group, the Malaria Atlas Project Inherited Blood Disorders 2007-2012 Course organiser and member of the examination board, diploma course in paediatric infectious diseases, University of Oxford, 2007-12 Co-organiser, Wellcome Trust advanced course on genomic epidemiology in Africa, Kilifi, Nov 28-Dec 3, 2010 Co-host and member of scientific organising committee, 7th annual general and scientific meeting, INDEPTH Network, September 2007, Nairobi Organising Committee, DTM&H course, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (1998-2000) Member of safety and training committees, CGMR-Coast, Kilifi 2000-2007 Advisory/technical working groups : Reviewer roles:Journals: Review for Nature, Nature Medicine, JAMA, The Lancet, The Lancet Haematology, The Lancet Global Health, Journal of Infectious Diseases, Journal of Pediatrics, American Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, Transactions of the Royal Society for Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, American Journal of Hematology, Trends in Parasitology, Blood, Haematologica, British Journal of Haematology, International Journal for Parasitology, Cytometry, Transfusion Medicine, Global Health Action, PLoS Medicine, PLoS One, BMC Medicine, e-Life, Science

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Recent publications

SEVUparin as a potential Adjunctive Treatment in children with severe malaria: A phase I trial safety and dose finding trial (SEVUSMAART).
Maitland, K., Hamaluba, M., Obonyo, N., Oguda, E., Mogoka, C., Williams, T. N., Chaponda, M., Miti, S., Kamavu, L. K., Jonathan Gwasupika, J., Connon, R., Gibb, D. M., Dondorp, A., Day, N., White, N., Walker, A. S., George, E. C.
Wellcome Open Res, (2023). 8:484

A Phase I trial of Non-invasive Ventilation and seizure prophylaxis with levetiracetam In Children with Cerebral Malaria Trial (NOVICE-M Trial).
Maitland, K., Obonyo, N., Hamaluba, M., Ogoda, E., Mogaka, C., Williams, T. N., Newton, C., Kariuki, S. M., Gibb, D. M., Walker, A. S., Connon, R., George, E. C.
Wellcome Open Res, (2024). 9:281

Relation between the Dantu blood group variant and bacteraemia in Kenyan children: a population-based case control study.
Kariuki, S. N., Gilchrist, J. J., Uyoga, S., Macharia, A., Makale, J., Rayner, J. C., Williams, T. N.
J Infect Dis, (2024). :Online ahead of print

Nutritional supplementation in children with severe pneumonia in Uganda and Kenya (COAST-Nutrition): a phase 2 randomised controlled trial.
Kiguli, S., Olupot-Olupot, P., Hamaluba, M., Giallongo, E., Thomas, K., Alaroker, F., Opoka, R. O., Tagoola, A., Oyella, S., Nalwanga, D., Nabawanuka, E., Okiror, W., Nakuya, M., Amorut, D., Muhindo, R., Mpoya, A., Mnjalla, H., Oguda, E., Williams, T. N., Harrison, D. A., Rowan, K., Briend, A., Maitland, K.
EClinicalMedicine, (2024). 72:102640

Hydroxyurea dose optimisation for children with sickle cell anaemia in sub-Saharan Africa (REACH): extended follow-up of a multicentre, open-label, phase 1/2 trial.
Aygun, B., Lane, A., Smart, L. R., Santos, B., Tshilolo, L., Williams, T. N., Olupot-Olupot, P., Stuber, S. E., Tomlinson, G., Latham, T., Ware, R. E.
Lancet Haematol, (2024). 11:e425-e435