Fluorophore - Lucy Mupfumi
Lucy Mupfumi: PhD candidate at Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, SANTHE Fellow (Sub-Saharan African Network for TB & HIV Research and Excellence), 2019 SANTHE Trainee of the Year.
Her Research: “My desire is to see a world without TB, that's what gets me excited each day about my work.” #EndTB #biomarkers #publicengagement
Tuberculosis (TB), is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). It causes more deaths than any other infectious disease including HIV or malaria. Mtb can infect anyone but usually the immune system fights it off and the bacteria is contained in the lungs, almost asleep, in what’s known as latent TB. When people have conditions that weaken the immune system, such as HIV and diabetes, the bacteria can grow and cause disease. For people that are HIV positive and not on antiretroviral (ARV) medication, HIV weakens the immune system, and TB can take hold. For those who are on ARVs, the immune system bounces back and they can fight off most illnesses. However, for some reason HIV positive people on ARVs are still more likely to get TB. Why? This is a big and important question that she is trying to answer in two ways.
First, Lucy analyses data from the Botswana national program to understand at the population-level, what the key risk factors for TB disease are in people with HIV and on ARVs. She then uses blood samples from patients that have agreed to be part of scientific studies to understand TB treatment outcomes. She looks at groups of people that are HIV + and on ARVs, and compares people that have TB to those that don’t. She is looking for biomarkers – quantifiable molecular features that identify different disease states – found in the samples that can separate one group from another. These biomarkers could help us understand why some people are more likely to get TB. She also studies how people respond to TB treatment to see if there are biomarkers that show whether the medicines are working well or not. Adherence is a major problem with TB as an individual has to take medication daily for at least 6 months. Therefore, research such as Lucy’s will help with the development of shortened treatment options for people with TB. Her research could also help us understand how the immune system is best able to fight off TB.
Her Heroes: People who make it when the odds are stacked against them. l am always inspired by the strength of the human will and how you can create your reality.
Her Top Tip: Science is one of those fields where you're constantly learning. Discoveries are made each day, so as Les Brown says, “You gotta be hungry!” Have an insatiable desire for knowledge and advancing the field to make a difference in your world. And you get to have fun while doing it too!
What does it take to succeed in science? We asked everyone to rank the following from most important to least: Hard work, communication, curiosity, creativity
What else do you need? perseverance!, humility and collegiality
Her Superpowers: Data analysis! The world runs on data and science does too. The more you understand about data, and how to turn it into information and recommendations the better off you are. For her analysis, Lucy uses Stata and R, a free data analysis software package.
Pulling a single specific cell out of a blood sample! Flow cytometry is an amazing tool for achieving this task. Other SuperScientists using flow cytometry include SideScatter, and even the marine biologist – Nitro.
Her scientific strengths: Collaborations, tenacity, public speaking, intuition, empathy
Outside of the lab: l am a wife and mom to an adorable 4-year-old boy. l love Zumba, taking pictures, singing, and writing in my journal. l also enjoy spending time at church, immersing myself in worship and the word.
Connect: Twitter @lucyfungayi
In isiZulu
U-Lucy Mupfumi: Ikhandidethi ye-PhD e-Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, i-SANTHE Fellow (i-Sub-Saharan African Network for TB & HIV Research and Excellence), 2019 SANTHE Oqeqeshwayo Wonyaka.
Ucwaningo Lwakhe: “Isifiso sami ukubona izwe elingenayo i-TB, yilokho okungijabulisa usuku ngalunye ngomsebenzi wami.” #EndTB #biomarkers #publicengagement
Isifo sofuba (TB), sibangelwa igciwane iMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Idala ukufa kwabantu abaningi kunanoma yisiphi esinye isifo esithathelwanayo kubandakanya i-HIV noma umalaleveva. I-Mtb ingathelela noma ubani kodwa ngokuvamile amasosha omzimba alwa nayo futhi amagciwane atholakala emaphashini, acishe alele, kulokho okwaziwa nge-TB equbisile. Uma abantu benezimo ezenza amasosha omzimba abe buthaka, njenge-HIV nesifo sikashukela, amagciwane angakhula futhi abangele izifo. Kubantu abanegciwane lesandulela ngculazi futhi abangaphuzi imishanguzo (ama-ARV), i-HIV yenza amasosha omzimba abe buthaka, futhi i-TB ingakwazi ukuzibamba. Kulabo abasebenzisa imishanguzo yegciwane lengculaza, amasosha omzimba abuyela emuva futhi angakwazi ukulwa nezifo eziningi. Nokho, ngasizathu simbe abantu abane-HIV kuma-ARV basethubeni elihle lokuthola i-TB. Kungani? Lona ngumbuzo omkhulu nobalulekile azama ukuwuphendula ngezindlela ezimbili.
Okokuqala, uLucy uhlaziya idatha evela ohlelweni lukazwelonke lwaseBotswana ukuze aqonde ezingeni labantu, ukuthi yiziphi izinto eziyingozi eziyinhloko zesifo sofuba kubantu abane-HIV kanye nama-ARV. Ube esesebenzisa amasampula egazi eziguli ezivumile ukuba yingxenye yocwaningo lwesayensi ukuze ziqonde imiphumela yokwelashwa kwe-TB. Ubheka amaqembu abantu abane-HIV + nabasebenzisa ama-ARV, bese eqhathanisa abantu abane-TB nalabo abangenayo. Ufuna ama-biomarker - izici zamangqamuzana ezikwazi ukukhomba izimo zezifo ezihlukene - ezitholakala kumasampula angahlukanisa iqembu elilodwa kwelinye. Lawa ma-biomarker angasisiza siqonde ukuthi kungani abanye abantu besengozini enkulu yokuthola i-TB. Uhlola nokuthi abantu basabela kanjani ekwelashweni kwe-TB ukuze abone ukuthi zikhona yini izimpawu ezibonisa ukuthi imithi isebenza kahle noma cha. Ukuthatha imithi ngendlela efanele kuyinkinga enkulu nge-TB njengoba umuntu kufanele aphuze imithi nsuku zonke okungenani izinyanga eziyi-6. Ngakho-ke, ucwaningo olufana nolukaLucy luzosiza ekwakhiweni kwezindlela zokwelapha ezifushanisiwe zabantu abane-TB. Ucwaningo lwakhe lungasisiza futhi ukuthi siqonde ukuthi amasosha omzimba akwazi kanjani ukulwa ne-TB.
Amaqhawe Akhe: Abantu abaphumelela lapho izingqinamba zinqwabelene nabo. Ngihlala ngigqugquzelwa amandla entando yomuntu nokuthi ungadala kanjani iqiniso lakho.
Ithiphu Lakhe Eliphezulu: Isayensi ingenye yaleyo mikhakha lapho ufunda khona njalo. Ukutholwa kwenziwa usuku nosuku, njengoba u-Les Brown esho, “Kufanele ulambe!” Yiba nesifiso esinganeliseki solwazi futhi uthuthukise insimu ukuze wenze umehluko emhlabeni wakho. Futhi uthola ukuzijabulisa ngenkathi ukwenza futhi!
Yini edingekayo ukuze uphumelele kwisayensi? Sicele wonke umuntu ukuthi aklelise okulandelayo kusukela kokubaluleke kakhulu kuye kokuncane: Ukusebenza kanzima, ukuxhumana, ilukuluku, ukusungula izinto
Yini enye oyidingayo? ukubekezela!, ukuzithoba kanye nokubumbana
Amandla Akhe Amandla: Ukuhlaziywa kwedatha! Umhlaba usebenzisa idatha kanye nesayensi nayo. Uma uqonda okwengeziwe ngedatha, nendlela yokuyiguqula ibe ulwazi nezincomo kuba ngcono kakhulu. Ukuhlaziya kwakhe, uLucy usebenzisa i-Stata kanye ne-R, iphakheji yesofthiwe yokuhlaziya idatha yamahhala.
Ukukhipha iseli elilodwa kusampula yegazi! I-Flow cytometry iyithuluzi elimangalisayo lokufeza lo msebenzi. Amanye amaSuperScientists asebenzisa i-flow cytometry ahlanganisa iSideScatter, ngisho nesazi sezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle - uNitro.
Amandla akhe kwesayensi: Ukusebenzisana, ukuqina, ukukhuluma esidlangalaleni, intuition, uzwela
Ngaphandle kwelebhu: ngingumfazi nomama womfana oneminyaka engu-4 ubudala. Ngiyalithanda iZumba, ukuthatha izithombe, ukucula, nokubhala kujenali yami. Ngiyakuthokozela nokuchitha isikhathi esontweni, ngicwile ekukhonzeni nasezwini.
Xhuma: Twitter @lucyfungayi