MLW’s Viral Immunology group lead Dr Kondwani Jambo will receive funding for four years to pursue research which is designed to address priority health problems of people in Sub-Saharan Africa under the prestigious Medical Research Council (MRC)/DFID African Research Leader (ARL) Award.

Under this scheme, Dr Jambo aims to contribute to the development of new vaccines to maximise the health benefits of pneumococcal disease control in Low- and Medium-Income Countries, where current vaccines have not had the expected impact.

“My immediate-term plan after this award is to start developing a skill base within my group focusing on systems immunology, as a way to understand how the body controls pneumococcal carriage in high transmission settings. Systems immunology is a new and rapidly developing field of research providing a more integrated perspective of the immune system. We will soon be advertising a PhD studentship under the ARL award for a highly talented African student to work in this exciting area. The long-term plan is to lead vaccine trials focusing on shortening duration and reducing density of pneumococcal carriage in HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral therapy,” said Jambo.

LSTM’s Director Professor David Lalloo said: “These awards highlight LSTM’s commitment to strengthen research excellence in sub-Saharan Africa by supporting and encouraging talented individuals. I am delighted for Kondwani that he has been recognised as the research leader that he is, and I am confident that we will see even greater achievements in the future.”