I am a Medical Entomologist and vector control specialist with over 10 years of experience in public health and vector control research. I hold a Research Fellow position with the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). I joined LSHTM in 2018 and I am currently based at the National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza Centre in Tanzania. My research interests focus on mosquito behaviour, ecology, design, field evaluation, and implementation of innovative vector control interventions. I have established and extensively investigated spatial and temporal variations of insecticide resistance and associated resistance mechanisms in malaria vectors in rural Tanzania. I have broad experience coordinating research teams in large field-based projects. Currently, I manage an entomological component of a large cluster randomized controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of novel dual active ingredients next-generation long-lasting insecticide nets (LLINs) against malaria transmitted by pyrethroid-resistant mosquito populations in rural Tanzania. The trial findings published in the Lancet have contributed to WHO policy change that resulted in the impactful implementation of the new pyrethroid-chlorfenapyr ITNs in controlling malaria (https://www.who.int/news/item/14-03-2023-who-publishes-recommendations-…). I have published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and presented research outputs at both national and international forums. I provide technical assistance to the Vector Control Technical Working Group (VCTWG) of the National Malaria Control Programme. I have been participating and contributing to the annual consultative meeting (PMI Malaria Operational Plan) technical discussions, sharing the project findings in supporting NMCP implementation and scale-up of new malaria vector control interventions. I support MSc and PhD students, and recently supported three students from the LSHTM who came for the field summer project.
Affiliations
Centres
Teaching
I am a DL tutor for the MSc Control of Infectious Diseases program at LSHTM. Due to my overseas location, I primarily engage in remote teaching activities. Currently, I have been supporting teaching activities including assessing assignments and marking student exams for the malaria module (IDM503,) and malaria module (IDM3195): from Science to Policy and Practice. Recently, I reviewed malaria scenarios for Tanzania for IDM395 and delivered a virtual presentation to MSc students. I support PhD students enrolled in our project, drawing on skills acquired from various short courses, including the New Doctoral Supervisor Induction program by TED – LSHTM, which I recently completed. Furthermore, I have served as an External Examiner for MSc dissertations at the School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Tanzania.
Research
My research interests revolve around vector-borne diseases, particularly focusing on malaria entomology and epidemiology, mosquito behavior and ecology, evaluating the effectiveness of innovative vector-borne disease control interventions through community trials, and investigating insecticide resistance and its management strategies.