Jonathan joined MLW in June 2015 through the Virology research group led by Dr. Khuzwayo Jere. He registered for an MSc in Bioinformatics with the University of Malawi – College of Medicine now known as Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS). The programme was a two-year taught masters degree. Through a competitive selection programme, in 2019, he secured the CORE Master Project Internship, where candidates who are already enrolled in an MSc programme are provided funding for a project for then to realise research outputs that will raise their profile and make them competitive for their next career step.

Jonathan Mandolo said, “The funding helped me to purchase a computer to use for data analysis. I also used part of the funding to travel to the UK for specialised training in Microbiome data analysis. I have gained valuable knowledge and skills that will make me deliver quality work. My MSc project focused on Association between maternal breast milk microbiota and infants’ gut microbiota profiles and their relationship to rotavirus vaccine response in Malawian children. Am very happy that I have now completed my MSc in Bioinformatics and very thankful to the Training Committee and the entire MLW community for the kindly support rendered to me. Am looking forward to the next step in my career.”

Well done, Jonathan!