Zoonotic - George Warimwe
Professor George Warimwe: Group Leader, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya; Associate Professor, Centre for Tropical Medicine & Global Health, University of Oxford, UK.
His Research: George’s team studies viral zoonotic diseases (diseases that move from animals to humans), and makes vaccines against them. There are many different zoonotic diseases and they can be caused by viruses, parasites or bacteria. They include COVID19 (virus), Ebola (virus), schistosomiasis (parasite) and listeriosis (bacteria). George’s group studies a number of viral zoonotic diseases including Rift Valley fever, MERS, chikungunya, dengue fever, and yellow fever.
Rift Valley fever sickens people, cattle, sheep, goats, among others, and MERS affects camels and can be fatal to people. When either disease is present in livestock it limits trade and sale of the animals, hurts people economically, and could lead to spread of the disease in people. George and other scientists are taking a “One Health” approach developing vaccines that work in animals and humans. George’s group has developed a Rift Valley Fever vaccine that is being tested in animals and people and is developing a MERS vaccine for camels and people.
Their work on chikungunya and dengue fever takes advantage of scientific studies and sample collection,that has happened over the last 30 years in Kenya. Using the biobank of samples that has been collected, they can ask questions about how many people were infected by these diseases, the genetics of the viruses over time, and see how they have spread within a community. This type of scientific resource is rare and will be very valuable in understanding these viral diseases and others.
Lastly, yellow fever is a mosquito borne disease that scientists have already developed a vaccine against, but there is limited supply of the vaccine because it is not seen to be economically important to produce more. George’s team is testing different amounts, of the vaccine to determine what is the smallest amount necessary to provide immunity against yellow fever. If a smaller amount is all that is needed, more people can be vaccinated and fewer people will be sickened.
Watch George talk about his work at the World Econcomic Forum.
His Top Tip: “Scientific research is one of the most exciting careers, I basically solve “puzzles” for a living - puzzles about how viruses cause illness in humans and animals, and how this knowledge can be exploited to develop protective vaccines. Like everything, success comes from hard work and having an open mind.
His Heroes: My grandparents, for the sacrifices they made to put me through school and Prof Susan Mbugua for her unwavering support and mentorship over the years.
What does George think you need to succeed in science? (Most important to less important – but still important!)
Curiosity, communication, hard work, creativity
His Superpowers: ”I am a veterinary surgeon, and can design, make and develop vaccines for use in humans and animals. I also lead many collaborations with other scientists around the world.”
Connect: Twitter @George_Warimwe
In isiZulu
USolwazi George Warimwe: Umholi Weqembu, i-KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, eKenya; UProfesa Ohlangene, Isikhungo Semithi YaseTropical & Impilo Yomhlaba Wonke, Inyuvesi yase-Oxford, e-UK.
Ucwaningo Lwakhe: Ithimba likaGeorge licwaninga ngezifo ze-viral zoonotic (izifo ezisuka ezilwaneni ziye kubantu), futhi lenze imigomo emelene nazo. Kunezifo eziningi ezahlukene ze-zoonotic futhi zingabangelwa amagciwane, ama-parasites noma amagciwane. Kubandakanya i-COVID19 (igciwane), i-Ebola (igciwane), i-schistosomiasis (i-parasite) kanye ne-listeriosis (amagciwane). Iqembu likaGeorge lifunda inani lezifo ze-viral zoonotic ezihlanganisa i-Rift Valley fever, i-MERS, i-chikungunya, i-dengue fever, ne-yellow fever.
I-Rift Valley fever igulisa abantu, izinkomo, izimvu, izimbuzi, phakathi kwabanye, futhi i-MERS ihlasela amakamela futhi ingababulala abantu. Uma noma yisiphi isifo sikhona emfuyweni sinciphisa ukuhweba nokudayiswa kwezilwane, silimaza abantu kwezomnotho, futhi singaholela ekusabalaleni kwalesi sifo kubantu. UGeorge kanye nabanye ososayensi bathatha indlela “Yezempilo Eyodwa” bakha imithi yokugoma esebenza ezilwaneni nakubantu. Iqembu likaGeorge lenze umuthi wokugomela i-Rift Valley Fever ohlolwayo ezilwaneni nakubantu futhi lenza umgomo we-MERS wamakamela nabantu.
Umsebenzi wabo ku-chikungunya kanye ne-dengue fever usizakala ngezifundo zesayensi nokuqoqwa kwamasampula, okwenzeke kule minyaka engu-30 edlule eKenya. Besebenzisa i-biobank yamasampula aqoqiwe, bangabuza imibuzo ngokuthi bangaki abantu abangenwe yilezi zifo, ufuzo lwamagciwane ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, futhi babone ukuthi asakazeke kanjani emphakathini. Lolu hlobo lwensiza yesayensi luyivelakancane futhi luzobaluleka kakhulu ekuqondeni lezi zifo ezibangelwa amagciwane kanye nezinye.
Okokugcina, i-yellow fever yisifo esithwalwa omiyane ososayensi asebevele benza umuthi wokugoma, kodwa kunomkhawulo olinganiselwe womuthi wokugoma ngoba awubonakali ubalulekile kwezomnotho ukukhiqiza okwengeziwe. Ithimba likaGeorge lihlola amanani ahlukene, omuthi wokugoma ukuze lithole ukuthi yiliphi inani elincane elidingekayo ukuze kuhlinzekwe ukuzivikela ngokumelene ne-yellow fever. Uma inani elincane kuyilona elidingekayo, abantu abaningi bangagonywa futhi bambalwa abantu abazogula.
Buka uGeorge ekhuluma ngomsebenzi wakhe kuWorld Ecomic Forum.
Ithiphu Yakhe Ephezulu: “Ucwaningo lwesayensi lungomunye wemisebenzi ejabulisa kakhulu, empeleni ngixazulula “izindida” ukuze ngiziphilise - izindida mayelana nokuthi amagciwane abangela kanjani ukugula kubantu nasezilwaneni, nokuthi lolu lwazi lungasetshenziswa kanjani ukuze kwakhiwe imithi yokugoma yokuzivikela. Njengazo zonke izinto, impumelelo itholakala ngokusebenza kanzima nokuba nomqondo ovulekile.
Amaqhawe Akhe: Ogogo nomkhulu bami, ngokuzidela abakwenza ukuze bangiqhubekisele phambili esikoleni kanye noProf Susan Mbugua ngokungeseka kwakhe okungaguquki kanye nokweluleka eminyakeni edlule.
Ucabanga ukuthi uGeorge udingani ukuze uphumelele kwisayensi? (Okubaluleke kakhulu kuya kokungabaluleki kangako - kodwa kusabalulekile!)
Ilukuluku, ukuxhumana, ukusebenza kanzima, ubuhlakani
Amandla Akhe Amandla: “Ngingudokotela ohlinzayo wezilwane, futhi ngiyakwazi ukuklama, ukwenza futhi ngithuthukise imithi yokugoma ezosetshenziswa kubantu nasezilwaneni. Ngiphinde ngihole ekusebenzisaneni okuningi nabanye ososayensi emhlabeni wonke.”
Xhuma: Twitter @George_Warimwe