Dr Sepo Mwangelwa: Study Physician, Zambia-Emory HIV Research Project (ZEHRP), SANTHE  Master’s Research Fellow, Masters student London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

His Research:  A number of SuperScientists we’ve profiled are working towards a goal of vaccine development. Once you have that vaccine candidate, what do you do? Sepo’s work focuses on that next step, vaccine testing.  When a candidate vaccine has been developed it has to go through a rigorous testing process to show it is safe and effective. Sepo co-leads a vaccine testing site in Zambia that is part of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network. They are currently running a vaccine efficacy trial called HVTN705. This is part of a multi-country vaccine trial with over 2600 participants in sites in South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia.  This vaccine uses the gag, pol and envelope proteins of HIV and has been proven to be safe in the lab and in Phase 1 trials.  It’s now in Phase 2, in which it is being further tested for safety and to test if it causes the immune to create antibodies against the vaccine (that’s what we want). Phase 3 will be testing how well it protects people from HIV infection and if it proves successful and safe it will be approved for use.

Sepo’s job is to care for participants in the study as their doctor, enter and quality control the data about how participants are doing on the study, investigate adverse events (when a participant has a side effect or other unexpected health problem – is it due to the vaccine or not?) and communicate with the other sites and the leaders of the study.  This is a double-blinded study, which means that both the participants and the health care workers involved in the study don’t know whether a person is receiving the actual vaccine or a placebo (the same injections but without the proteins that would lead to immunization).  This ensures that that both groups of participants (vaccine or placebo) carry on with their lives as normal and the scientists can determine if the vaccine worked or not. The trial, which lasts just over 3 years, has 17 scheduled visits. At four of the visits participants receive a vaccine injection. Blood samples are collected at every visit. Samples are shipped to various international labs, including South Africa, where specific testing is carried out. If this vaccine works, many HIV vaccines have not, it would change the lives of tens of millions of people. #HIVvaccine #medicine #medicaldoctor #physician #diagnostics

His Heroes: My parents because no matter the situation or circumstance, they always found a solution

His Top Tip: There is a reason you are passionate about science. Always keep that fire burning. There might be days when it's only a flicker, but you have the power to add a little extra oil.

What does it take to succeed in science? We ask everyone to rank from most important to least, Sepo’s answer: Curiosity, Creativity, Communication, Hard work

What else do you need?  Passion, Desire, Heart for people

Superpowers: Diagnosing - I am a detective of the body. I use clues that your body tells me to find the bad guy and I get rid of him. Teaching - I take difficult concepts that are hard to understand and break them down into simple ways for understanding. Revelation - I work with passionate people to bring out their inner gifts.

Outside of the clinic: In my free time, I love playing guitar, watching documentaries, supporting Liverpool FC and creating an online business.

In isiZulu

UDkt Sepo Mwangelwa: Udokotela Wokufunda, i-Zambia-Emory HIV Research Project (ZEHRP), i-SANTHE Master’s Research Fellow, umfundi weMasters eLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Ucwaningo Lwakhe: Idlanzana Lososayensi Abaphezulu esibafakile basebenzela ukufeza umgomo wokuthuthukisa umgomo.  Uma usunalelo khandidethi lokugoma, wenzani?  Umsebenzi kaSepo ugxile kuleso sinyathelo esilandelayo, ukuhlolwa komgomo.  Uma umuthi wokugoma ususunguliwe kufanele udlule ohlelweni oluqinile lokuhlola ukukhombisa ukuthi uphephile futhi uyasebenza.  I-Sepo ihola indawo yokuhlola umgomo e-Zambia eyingxenye ye-HIV Vaccine Trials Network.  Okwamanje benza ucwaningo olusebenzayo lokugoma olubizwa nge-HVTN705.  Lokhu kuyingxenye yohlolo lokugoma lwamazwe amaningi olunababambiqhaza abangaphezu kuka-2600 ezindaweni eziseNingizimu Afrika, eMozambique, eZimbabwe, eMalawi naseZambia.  Lo mgomo usebenzisa i-gag, pol kanye ne-envelope proteins ye-HIV futhi kutholakale ukuthi uphephile elebhu nasezivivinyweni zeSigaba soku-1.  Manje isiseSigabeni sesi-2, lapho iphinde ihlolelwa ukuphepha kanye nokuhlolwa ukuthi ingabe idala ukuthi amasosha omzimba akhe amasosha omzimba amelane nomgomo (yilokho esikufunayo).  Isigaba sesi-3 sizobe sihlola ukuthi sibavikela kanjani abantu ekuthelelekeni nge-HIV futhi uma siphumelela futhi siphephile sizogunyazwa ukuthi sisetshenziswe.

Umsebenzi kaSepo ukunakekela ababambiqhaza ocwaningweni njengodokotela wabo, ukufaka nokulawula ikhwalithi idatha emayelana nendlela ababambiqhaza abaqhuba ngayo ocwaningweni, ukuphenya izehlakalo ezimbi (lapho umhlanganyeli eba nomthelela omubi noma enye inkinga yezempilo ebingalindelekile - kungenxa  umuthi wokugoma noma cha?) futhi uxhumane nezinye izingosi kanye nabaholi bocwaningo.  Lolu ucwaningo olungaboni kabili, okusho ukuthi bobabili ababambiqhaza nabasebenzi bezempilo abahililekile ocwaningweni abazi noma umuntu uthola umgomo wangempela noma i-placebo (imijovo efanayo kodwa engenawo amaprotheni angaholela ekugomeni.  ukugonywa).  Lokhu kuqinisekisa ukuthi womabili amaqembu ababambiqhaza (umgomo noma i-placebo) baqhubeka nempilo yabo njengokujwayelekile futhi ososayensi banganquma ukuthi umgomo usebenzile noma cha.  Icala, elithatha ngaphezudlwana nje kweminyaka emi-3, linokuvakasha okuhleliwe okungu-17.  Ekuvakasheni okune kwabahlanganyeli bathola umjovo wokugoma.  Amasampula egazi aqoqwa kukho konke ukuvakasha.  Amasampula athunyelwa kumalebhu ahlukahlukene omhlaba, okuhlanganisa neNingizimu Afrika, lapho ukuhlolwa okukhethekile kwenziwa khona.  Uma lo mgomo usebenza, imithi eminingi yokugomela i-HIV ayikenzi, ingashintsha izimpilo zamashumi ezigidi zabantu.  #HIVvaccine #medicine #medicaldoctor #physician #diagnostics

AmaQhawe Akhe: Abazali bami ngoba kungakhathaliseki isimo noma isimo, babehlale bethola isixazululo

Ithiphu Lakhe Eliphezulu: Kunesizathu sokuthi uthanda isayensi.  Gcina lowo mlilo uvutha njalo.  Kungase kube nezinsuku lapho kuwukucwayiza kuphela, kodwa unamandla okwengeza uwoyela owengeziwe.

Yini edingekayo ukuze uphumelele kwisayensi?  Sicela wonke umuntu aklelise kusukela kokubaluleke kakhulu kuye kokuncane, impendulo kaSepo: Ilukuluku, Ubuqambi, Ukuxhumana, Ukusebenza kanzima 

Yini enye oyidingayo?  Intshisekelo, Isifiso, Inhliziyo yabantu

Amandla Amandla: Ukuxilonga - Ngingumseshi womzimba.  Ngisebenzisa imikhondo yokuthi umzimba wakho ungitshela ukuthi ngithole umuntu omubi bese ngimxosha.  Ukufundisa - ngithatha imiqondo enzima okunzima ukuyiqonda bese ngiyehlukanisa ibe izindlela ezilula zokuqonda.  Isambulo - Ngisebenza nabantu abanothando ukuveza izipho zabo zangaphakathi.

Ngaphandle komtholampilo: Ngesikhathi sami sokuphumula, ngithanda ukudlala isiginci, ukubuka amadokhumentari, ukusekela i-Liverpool FC nokudala ibhizinisi eliku-inthanethi. I'm