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Biography
Isabella is the Head of Bioscience in the programme. She is also an Associate Professor at the Nuffield Department of Medicine and a Reuben College Global Research Fellow, University of Oxford. She is currently a Calestous Juma Leadership Fellow, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2021, to Integrate malaria molecular epidemiology into routine surveillance in Kenya. A project that partners with the Division of National Malaria Programme (DNMP) to implement malaria molecular surveillance activities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led the COVID-19 testing and co-ordinated the regional genomic surveillance in collaboration with Africa CDC and WHO-Afro. With recent funding from Wellcome, she leads a project to continue work nationally and regionally on COVID-19; to establish a platform for immunological surveillance to identify and report, in near real-time, on the immune escape potential of newly emergent SARS-CoV-2 variants. She previously was awarded a Wellcome Intermediate Fellowship and was a Visiting Lecturer at the Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics (CEBIB), University of Nairobi, between 2011 and 2016. She has been and is a member of several technical working groups on genomic surveillance, including the DNMP Operational Research committee of experts and Africa CDC genomic surveillance advisory groups.
Current Work
Her research interests are in Plasmodium falciparum malaria molecular epidemiology, focusing on the spatial and temporal use of molecular tools to: 1) examine genetic variation in merozoite antigens that are potential candidates for blood stage vaccines and its impact on naturally acquired immunity; 2) define complexity of infection while examining the impact of interventions or changes in malaria epidemiology; 3) distinguish persistent infections and reinfections in both therapeutic efficacy studies and in longitudinal follow up of asymptomatic individuals; and 4) monitor drug resistance molecular markers.Collaborations
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Publications
Low frequency of Plasmodium falciparum hrp2/3 deletions from symptomatic infections at a primary healthcare facility in Kilifi, Kenya.
Okanda, D., Ndwiga, L., Osoti, V., Achieng, N., Wambua, J., Ngetsa, C., Lubell-Doughtie, P., Shankar, A., Bejon, P., Ochola-Oyier, L. I.
Front Epidemiol, (2023). 3:1083114
Distinct transcriptomic signatures define febrile malaria depending on initial infective states, asymptomatic or uninfected.
Kimenyi, K. M., Akinyi, M. Y., Mwikali, K., Gilmore, T., Mwangi, S., Omer, E., Gichuki, B., Wambua, J., Njunge, J., Obiero, G., Bejon, P., Langhorne, J., Abdi, A., Ochola-Oyier, L. I.
BMC Infect Dis, (2024). 24:140
Extracellular vesicles could be a putative posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism that shapes intracellular RNA levels in Plasmodium falciparum.
Kioko, M., Pance, A., Mwangi, S., Goulding, D., Kemp, A., Rono, M., Ochola-Oyier, L. I., Bull, P. C., Bejon, P., Rayner, J. C., Abdi, A. I.
Nature Communications, (2023). 14:6447
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
New SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant with Spike Protein Mutation Y451H, Kilifi, Kenya, March-May 2023.
Mwanga, M. J., Lambisia, A. W., 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.
Emerg Infect Dis, (2023). 29:
Targeted amplicon deep sequencing of ama1 and mdr1 to track within-host P. falciparum diversity throughout treatment in a clinical drug trial.
Wamae, K., Ndwiga, L., Kharabora, O., Kimenyi, K., Osoti, V., de Laurent, Z., Wambua, J., Musyoki, J., Ngetsa, C., Kalume, P., Mwambingu, G., Hamaluba, M., van der Pluijm, R., Dondorp, A. M., Bailey, J., Juliano, J., Bejon, P., Ochola-Oyier, L.
Wellcome Open Res, (2022). 7:95
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
Pf7: an open dataset of Plasmodium falciparum genome variation in 20,000 worldwide samples.
Abdel Hamid, M. M., Abdelraheem, M. H., Acheampong, D. O., Ahouidi, A., Ali, M., Almagro-Garcia, J., Amambua-Ngwa, A., Amaratunga, C., Amenga-Etego, L., Andagalu, B., Anderson, T., Andrianaranjaka, V., Aniebo, I., Aninagyei, E., Ansah, F., Ansah, P. O., Apinjoh, T., Arnaldo, P., Ashley, E., Auburn, S., Awandare, G. A., Ba, H., Baraka, V., Barry, A., Bejon, P., Bertin, G. I., Boni, M. F., Borrmann, S., Bousema, T., Bouyou-Akotet, M., Branch, O., Bull, P. C., Cheah, H., Chindavongsa, K., Chookajorn, T., Chotivanich, K., Claessens, A., Conway, D. J., Corredor, V., Courtier, E., Craig, A., D'Alessandro, U., Dama, S., Day, N., Denis, B., Dhorda, M., Diakite, M., Djimde, A., Dolecek, C., Dondorp, A., Doumbia, S., Drakeley, C., Drury, E., Duffy, P., Echeverry, D. F., Egwang, T. G., Enosse, S. M. M., Erko, B., Fairhurst, R. M., Faiz, A., Fanello, C. A., Fleharty, M., Forbes, M., Fukuda, M., Gamboa, D., Ghansah, A., Golassa, L., Goncalves, S., Harrison, G. L. A., Healy, S. A., Hendry, J. A., Hernandez-Koutoucheva, A., Hien, T. T., Hill, C. A., Hombhanje, F., Hott, A., Htut, Y., Hussein, M., Imwong, M., Ishengoma, D., Jackson, S. A., Jacob, C. G., Jeans, J., Johnson, K. J., Kamaliddin, C., Kamau, E., Keatley, J., Kochakarn, T., Konate, D. S., Konaté, A., Kone, A., Kwiatkowski, D. P., Kyaw, M. P., Kyle, D., Lawniczak, M., Lee, S. K., Lemnge, M., Lim, P., Lon, C., Loua, K. M., Mandara, C. I., Marfurt, J., Marsh, K., Maude, R. J., Mayxay, M., Maïga-Ascofaré, O., Miotto, O., Mita, T., Mobegi, V., Mohamed, A. O., Mokuolu, O. A., Montgomery, J., Morang'a, C. M., Mueller, I., Murie, K., Newton, P. N., Ngo Duc, T., Nguyen, T., Nguyen, T. N., Nguyen Thi Kim, T., Nguyen Van, H., Noedl, H., Nosten, F., Noviyanti, R., Ntui, V. N., Nzila, A., Ochola-Oyier, L. I., Ocholla, H., Oduro, A., Omedo, I., Onyamboko, M. A., Ouedraogo, J. B., Oyebola, K., Oyibo, W. A., Pearson, R., Peshu, N., Phyo, A. P., Plowe, C. V., Price, R. N., Pukrittayakamee, S., Quang, H. H., Randrianarivelojosia, M., Rayner, J. C., Ringwald, P., Rosanas-Urgell, A., Rovira-Vallbona, E., Ruano-Rubio, V., Ruiz, L., Saunders, D., Shayo, A., Siba, P., Simpson, V. J., Sissoko, M. S., Smith, C., Su, X. Z., Sutherland, C., Takala-Harrison, S., Talman, A., Tavul, L., Thanh, N. V., Thathy, V., Thu, A. M., Toure, M., Tshefu, A., Verra, F., Vinetz, J., Wellems, T. E., Wendler, J., White, N. J., Whitton, G., Yavo, W., van der Pluijm, R. W.
Wellcome Open Res, (2023). 8:22
Validation of saline, PBS and a locally produced VTM at varying storage conditions to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus by qRT-PCR.
Ngetsa, C., Osoti, V., Okanda, D., Marura, F., Shah, K., Karanja, H., Mugo, D., Gitonga, J., Mutunga, M., Lewa, C., Orindi, B., Bejon, P., Ochola-Oyier, L. I.
PLoS One, (2023). 18:e0280685