Learn about the main research themes at MRC Unit The Gambia. Read about the work we do, the personnel leading each project, and view a collection of featured images for each theme.
Disease Control and Elimination
The disease control and elimination theme’s scientific strategy focuses on investigating the interactions between hosts, pathogens and vectors, and evaluating interventions aimed at interrupting transmission and/or reducing the disease burden. Its research portfolio includes diseases of public health importance in West Africa at different stages of control or elimination, e.g. malaria, bacterial diseases, hepatitis B.
Nutrition and Planetary Health
The nutrition theme aims at understanding the pathophysiology of diet-disease interactions in order to accelerate the development of more effective next-generation community and clinical interventions. Examples are the studies on iron regulation and relation with infectious diseases such as malaria and bacterial infections; and those on the peri-conceptional diet and the epigenetically-mediated adverse outcomes.
Vaccines and Immunity
The vaccines and immunity theme thrives to understand the ontogeny of immunity to inform the design of vaccines and maximise their impact. Through laboratory science and clinical trials, the theme’s aim is to contribute to the evidence based development and deployment of vaccines.
Maternal, neonatal and child health
A cross‐cutting theme and a significant part of the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM research portfolio already addresses pressing research questions related with maternal, neonatal and child health. More specifically, the DCE Theme has been working on an intervention to prevent among pregnant women carriage of bacteria commonly causing neonatal sepsis (PregnAnZI trial) and is planning to evaluate its impact on neonatal mortality.
West Africa Research Platform
West Africa bears a high disease burden while local research capacities need to be developed further. There are several international and national funding initiatives and programmes addressing these issues. The MRCG recognises its unique positioning in the West Africa Region and intends to contribute and influence programmes aimed at creating a strong research and training hub able to respond to the regional needs.