The Immunology in Africa Podcast

Hosted by Wealth Okete, The Immunology in Africa Podcast (ImmunoAfrica) explores narratives that intersect immunology and Africa. It spotlights the inspiring stories, science, and perspectives of Africa’s immunology researchers, diving deep into their journeys into the field, the questions driving their work, and the impact they hope to make on the continent. By celebrating Africa-led science, ImmunoAfrica fosters public engagement with the scientific community, counters misinformation, and connects next-generation scientists to brilliant role models.Find us here: linktr.ee/immuno.africa

The Immunology in Africa Podcast is a science podcast hosted by Wealth Okete, with 43 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Wealth Okete hosts The Immunology in Africa Podcast, a science show with 43 episodes published.

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  Episode #38

  Decoding T Cell Function and Metabolism in Early-life Immunity to Malaria - GSS 3.0 (2/5) - Chris Mbianda

  Jun 27, 202639 minS2

  ImmunoAfrica's Graduate Student Series offers emerging and aspiring immunologists the opportunity to connect with, learn from, and be inspired by some of the most talented immunology graduate students from Africa. For its third edition, this year, we feature 5 PhD students representing 5 African countries, namely Zimbabwe, South Africa, Benin, Cameroon, and Ethiopia. Our guests share their unique stories, perspectives, and contributions to the field of immunology, particularly within the African context. -- Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Wealth Okete ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , The Immunology in Africa Podcast explores narratives at the nexus of immunology & Africa. We ask professors, postdocs, PhD students, and everyone in between to tell us about their journey into immunology, the questions driving their current work, and the impact they hope to make on the continent. To support our efforts towards amplifying African stories of immunology, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buy us coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nominate a guest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . -- Chris Marco Nana Mbianda is a passionate immunologist and doctoral graduate of the University of Yaoundé in Cameroon. His research on pregnant women and neonates explores how immune responses to placental malaria can be harnessed for immunotherapeutic strategies. He investigates key immunological and metabolic pathways that could be targeted to improve protection to infection in newborns. Beyond the laboratory, he is dedicated to mentoring young scientists and promoting inclusive, accessible science through teaching and public engagement. Chris is a recipient of numerous awards including the prestigious Eiffel Excellence Scholarship from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. This episode explores findings from his PhD research around the function and metabolism of gamma-delta T cells, an unconventional T cell class and the immuno-protective role they could play in neonates. Timestamps: 00:00 - intro, about guest 01:29 - career background, early journey into immunology and the integration of metabolism in PhD research 04:24 - PhD research: gamma-delta T cells and their roles in placental malaria 06:35 - more on PhD research; maternal-infant immune crosstalk, gamma-delta T cells, and placental malaria 10:54 - key findings and implications for infant immunity to malaria 17:15 - improving the levels / function of gamma-delta T cells: challenges and prospects 19:00 - T cell metabolism and its role in malaria immunity 23:25 - moving from in vitro experiments to animal models 24:30 - the interplay of infection, immunity, and diet in resource-limited settings 26:10 - maternal nutrition, colostrum, and immunity to infections in neonates 28:19 - surmounting challenges of being a French-speaking scientist 34:24 - an immunology-themed acronym for PLACENTAL 38:45 - outro

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  The Immunology in Africa Podcast

  (Video) A Cure for HIV: Dissecting Africa's First HIV-cure Trial - Prof. Thumbi Ndung'u

  Jun 15, 20261h 3m

  Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Wealth Okete ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , The Immunology in Africa Podcast explores narratives at the nexus of immunology & Africa. We ask professors, postdocs, PhD students, and everyone in between to tell us about their journey into immunology, the questions driving their current work, and the impact they hope to make on the continent. To support our efforts towards amplifying African stories of immunology, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buy us coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nominate a guest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . -- Thumbi Ndung’u is a faculty member at the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) in Durban, South Africa; Professor and Victor Daitz Chair in HIV/TB Research at the HIV Pathogenesis Programme, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Programme Director for the Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence (SANTHE); Professor of Infectious Diseases at University College London, UK; Associate Member of the Ragon Institute; Adjunct Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; and Provost's Visiting Professor of HIV Virology and Immunology at Imperial College London, UK. He is the recipient of several awards for scientific excellence and leadership contributions, including the South African Medical Research Council Gold Scientific Achievement Award, the Leadership Award in Public Health Practice from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and the KT Jeang Retrovirology Prize in recognition of outstanding work on HIV. He has also received grant funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, the Science for Africa Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the South African National Research Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and others. His research focuses on understanding interactions between HIV and the immune system and how these may be harnessed and translated for HIV prevention or cure. -- In this episode, he talks about his journey with HIV and immunology that has spanned at least three decades and birthed several groundbreaking contributions, the most recent being Africa’s first HIV cure trial for women living with the virus.

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  Episode #37

  Nerves, Skin, and Immunity: Understanding Keloids through the Lens of the Immune System - GSS 3.0 (1/5) - Takunda Ngwenya

  Jun 9, 202650 minS2

  ImmunoAfrica's Graduate Student Series offers emerging and aspiring immunologists the opportunity to connect with, learn from, and be inspired by some of the most talented immunology graduate students from Africa. For its third edition, this year, we feature 5 PhD students representing 5 African countries, namely Zimbabwe, South Africa, Benin, Cameroon, and Ethiopia. Our guests share their unique stories, perspectives, and contributions to the field of immunology, particularly within the African context. -- Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Wealth Okete ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , The Immunology in Africa Podcast explores narratives at the nexus of immunology & Africa. We ask professors, postdocs, PhD students, and everyone in between to tell us about their journey into immunology, the questions driving their current work, and the impact they hope to make on the continent. To support our efforts towards amplifying African stories of immunology, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buy us coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nominate a guest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . -- Takunda Lameck Ngwenya is a PhD researcher in Neuroscience and Immunology at King’s College London, United Kingdom, where he explores how the immune system and nervous system interact in chronic skin conditions like keloid scars. Originally from Zimbabwe, Takunda holds a distinction-graded MSc in Medicine (Chemical Biology) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where he worked on a project that aimed to develop novel recombinant immunodiagnostic & -therapeutics for Triple Negative Breast Cancer. He has a multidisciplinary background spanning immunology, molecular biology, and translational medicine. Takunda is also an advocate for research that addresses underrepresented health issues in global communities. Timestamps: 00:00 - intro, about guest 01:27 - career background, early journey into immunology 06:08 - navigating the steep learning-growth curve 09:42 - findings from master's research project on cancer immunotherapy 17:23 - updates on PhD research (pain, itch, and immune responses in keloids) 23:28 - are there models or cell lines for studying keloids? 28:15 - potential future applications/implications of findings 29:36 - can keloids be cured solely via surgical resection? 31:15 - keloids vs cancers 32:12 - strengthening immunological research and development in Africa (funding, collaboration, opportunities, and the role of AI) 45:08 - fun tasks (2 truths and 1 lie; a difficult term in the field) 49:56 - outro

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  Episode #36

  T Cells in Autoimmunity, Viral Diseases, and Vaccines - Annie Elong

  Mar 18, 202653 minS2

  Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Wealth Okete ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , The Immunology in Africa Podcast explores narratives at the nexus of immunology & Africa. We ask professors, postdocs, PhD students, and everyone in between to tell us about their journey into immunology, the questions driving their current work, and the impact they hope to make on the continent. To support our efforts towards amplifying African stories of immunology, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buy us coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nominate a guest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . -- Annie Elong is a Research Instructor in the Center for Vaccine Innovation at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology. Elong received her Ph.D. in Immunology investigating the role of autoreactive T and B cells in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease affecting the Central Nervous System (CNS). Her research focus has since broadened, to human infectious diseases and mouse models in the group of Dr. Sujan Shresta at La Jolla. She has led key projects aimed at understanding the adaptive immune response to infection with flaviviruses, particularly dengue and Zika, contributing towards the development of efficient vaccines. During the pandemic, Elong investigated the role of pre-existing immunity to human common cold coronaviruses and the interplay between antibody and T cell responses in shaping the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this episode, Elong talks about her journey through and contributions to the field, which has crisscrossed T cells, antibodies, autoimmunity and vaccines. In addition, she discusses the critical roles pan vaccines could play in the fight against viral diseases and shares part of her ongoing plans to elucidate how T cells mediate neuropathologies associated with viral infections. -- To participate in our Quizzes, visit our social media platforms via the links below. - ImmunoAfrica: ⁠⁠linktr.ee/immuno.africa⁠ ⁠ - Immunopaedia: ⁠⁠immunopaedia.org.za⁠⁠ -- Timestamps: 00:00 – podcast intro 00:47 – guest intro 01:50 – overview of career journey, getting into immunology and infectious diseases research 04:32 – PhD research (T cells and multiple sclerosis): findings, implications 11:00 – navigating the switch from autoimmunity to viral immunology and vaccines 13:27 – ImmunoAfrica x Immunopaedia quiz interlude 14:16 – navigating switches: why every scientist has the recipe for surviving career/research switches 18:30 – postdoctoral research (Dengue and Zika viruses: T cells, antibodies, and pan-vaccines): findings, implications 30:26 – more on pan-vaccines; immunology x global health crosstalk 45:10 – what's next? 47:51 – closing remarks: why you need a mentor 52:20 – outro

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  Episode #35

  Tackling Neglected Diseases: From Research to Impact - Lorraine Pfavayi

  Feb 8, 202647 minS2

  Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Wealth Okete ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , The Immunology in Africa Podcast explores narratives at the nexus of immunology & Africa. We ask professors, postdocs, PhD students, and everyone in between to tell us about their journey into immunology, the questions driving their current work, and the impact they hope to make on the continent. To support our efforts towards amplifying African stories of immunology, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buy us coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nominate a guest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . -- Dr. Lorraine Pfavayi is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Edinburgh and a TIBA Postdoctoral Fellow. She holds a DPhil in Clinical Medicine from the University of Oxford, where she investigated fungal allergic diseases in regions co-endemic with parasitic infections. Her current research focuses on developing point-of-care diagnostic tools for schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease commonly linked with fresh water snails. She is also involved in the Affected Voices programme, which promotes the inclusion of people with lived experience of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in health policy and service delivery. Her work is driven by a commitment to integrating basic science with global health policy to deliver equitable, context-relevant solutions for vulnerable communities. In this episode, Pfavayi discusses the need for context-relevant approaches to addressing the burden of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Africa and highlights how her ongoing work centers local contexts, community persepctives, and African-led approaches in the development of solutions for NTDs. -- To participate in our Quizzes, visit our social media platforms via the links below. - ImmunoAfrica: ⁠linktr.ee/immuno.africa ⁠ - Immunopaedia: ⁠immunopaedia.org.za⁠ -- Timestamps: 00:00 – podcast intro 01:05 – guest intro 01:50 – overview of career journey, getting into NTDs research 03:40 – what are NTDs? why NTDs? 06:52 – key contributions towards NTDs research; factoring in under-5 for schistosomiasis management 14:16 – ImmunoAfrica x Immunopaedia quiz interlude 15:07 – involving local communities in the entire project pipeline of research studies 16:17 – PhD research: fungal allergies in NTDs-endemic communities 26:21 – post-doctoral research project: towards tailoring NTDs innovations and interventions for infants and young children; local communities 36:30 – highlights of findings 43:40 – the role of mentors in her career development 44:45 – final remarks: dealing with imposter syndrome 46:32 – outro

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