Kennedy Zembere, Pre-MSc Intern

Kennedy is a Pre-MSc research intern within the Vector Biology group. He secured a highly competitive one-year MLW-funded research internship in Vector Biology (2018-2019). His research interest is in biology, ecology, and behaviour of disease vectors and he desires to see a malaria-free world by conducting research leading towards the development and application of novel tools which will contribute to the reduction of malaria and other vector-borne diseases. His current focus is to develop an outdoor novel mosquito sampling trap, the host decoy trap (HDT), and assess its efficiency in sampling outdoor malaria vectors in Chikwawa, southern Malawi. He has previously co-investigated two research studies under the Majete Malaria Project. The first study aimed at assessing the effects of livestock presence on the abundance and behaviour of malaria vectors; the second study aimed at assessing the efficiency of a novel trap, Suna trap, in sampling indoor and outdoor malaria vectors in Chikwawa, southern Malawi. Kennedy secured a Commonwealth Masters scholarship to study MSc in Tropical Disease Biology at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in September 2021