Organization: University of Dar es Salaam
Region: Africa
Nationality: Tanzania| The United Republic of
Country: Tanzania, The United Republic of
Interests & expertise: Ageing with HIV
Profession or occupation: Researcher
What inspires you to work in the HIV field?
Like any African, living in Tanzania means that you are either living with or affected by HIV in one way or another. This drove me to crafting and dedicating my career to studying HIV and other life-threatening pathogens. My research focus is on studying HIV pathogenesis, preventive and therapeutic studies. I have been or am involved in studies that investigate:
1. Pathogenic mechanism during HIV co-infection with other pathogens, including helminthes and human papilloma viruses.
2. Mechanisms for the increased risk of HIV acquisition in individuals infected with filarial worms.
3. Differences in the induction of vaccine-induced immune responses between different populations.
4. Premature immune ageing in children living with HIV.
5. Host and viral factors for COVID-19 outcomes in Tanzania
What are your goals as an IAS change maker?
While HIV treatment has reduced mortality and morbidity, the risk for age-related conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders among people ageing with HIV, even under therapy, is still high. My goal is to monitor children growing with HIV for early identification and intervention of high-risk factors for age-related conditions. Realizing that the HIV response isn’t complete without an HIV cure, my ambition is also to participate and advocate for HIV cure research in Tanzania, especially those involving development of HIV vaccine candidates and innovative clinical trial concepts.