Explore Our Projects

Diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminths in endemic communities.

Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are neglected tropical diseases that disproportionaltely burden public health in endemic regions in low- and middle-income countries. These parasitic infections affect millions of individuals, leading to chronic morbidity, reduced productivity, and impaired growth and development, particularly among children. Low sensitivity of traditional diagnostic tools, emerging drug resistance, and barriers to large-scale implementation in resource-limited settings are the major challenges of current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

This project focuses on developing innovative, accessible, and scalable solutions to enhance early diagnosis, effective treatment, and sustainable control of schistosomiasis and STH in affected communities.

Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and co-infection dynamics of malaria with bacterial pathogens, particularly Salmonella species.

Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa, where co-infections with bacterial pathogens such as Salmonella species pose a significant health challenge. These co-infections exacerbate disease severity, complicate diagnosis, and increase the risk of fatal outcomes, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children and immunocompromised individuals.

The interactions between malaria and bacterial pathogens are complex, involving shared immune pathways, altered host susceptibility, and environmental and socio-economic factors that shape their epidemiology. Understanding the dynamics of these co-infections is essential for improving diagnostic accuracy, treatment strategies, and public health interventions.

This project seeks to explore the epidemiological trends, underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis, and the impact of malaria-Salmonella co-infections.

Antimicrobial resistance patterns in bacteria associated with parasitic diseases in resource-limited settings.

The intersection of parasitic diseases and bacterial infections presents a critical public health challenge, especially in resource-limited settings where diagnostic and therapeutic options are constrained. Co-infections often exacerbate disease severity, requiring the use of antimicrobial treatments to manage bacterial complications. However, the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens the effectiveness of these interventions, complicating treatment protocols and increasing morbidity and mortality.

Understanding AMR patterns in bacteria associated with parasitic diseases is essential for designing effective treatment strategies and guiding antibiotic stewardship efforts. These patterns are influenced by factors such as inappropriate antibiotic use, limited diagnostic capacity, and environmental drivers unique to resource-constrained areas.

Our focus is on examining AMR profiles in bacterial pathogens frequently linked with parasitic diseases, aiming to identify resistance trends, inform tailored treatment guidelines, and support global efforts to combat AMR in vulnerable populations.

Therapeutic options for Leishmaniasis using lead compounds from plant source.

Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania parasites, affects millions globally, with the majority of cases occurring in tropical and subtropical regions. Current therapeutic options are limited by toxicity, high cost, drug resistance, and the need for prolonged treatment regimens. These challenges prompt the urgent need for alternative, safe, and cost-effective treatments.

Plant-based compounds offer a promising avenue for drug discovery, leveraging their diverse bioactive metabolites with antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties. Traditional medicine has long utilized plant extracts for treating parasitic infections, providing a foundation for scientific exploration.

This project aims to evaluate lead compounds of plants origin for their therapeutic potential against Leishmaniasis. We seek to uncover novel, effective, and sustainable solutions for managing this neglected tropical disease.

Computational drug discovery for the treatment of neglected tropical diseases.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) still present significant burden in low- and middle-income regions, especially in The Sub-Saharan Africa region, marring public health strides, affecting quality of health, educational outcome and professional opportunities, with social stigma and exclusion of affected persons. Treatment of these infections are challenged by lack of effective therapeutic options and the surging antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of the etiological agents to available drugs, prompting a dire need for new drug candidates.

In this project, we are leveraging computational tools and methods to screen large libraries of compounds from The Pandemic Response box and The Global Health Priority box, and peptides, targetting Schistosoma mansoni protein 14 (sm14), Schistosoma haematobium protein 23 (sh23), and Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (pfEMP1), which are central proteins in the survial, proliferation and virulence of the parasites Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma haematobium, Leishmania major, Leishmania donovani, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, and Plasmodium falciparum.

Our aim is to identify promising compounds that will serve as effective drugs for the treatment of these diseases in the future.