Project 1

Neha Issar

aki_2@rediffmail.com

I am Neha Issar and I come from INDIA.I reside in the north Indian metropolitan city of New Delhi, which is also the Capital of my country; not only  democratic and political Capital but  also the hub of this culturally diverse land and is thus also rightfully and lovingly called the ‘heart of India’. Apart from the beauty and picturesque ness that is naturally bestowed on the entire landscape of India, Delhi additionally prides of an amazing range of architecture form ancient Mughal to preindependence British to the modern day metropolitan forms.

It is here in Delhi, India that I received my formal education and studied for Bachelors in Industrial Microbiology from the University of Delhi followed by a Masters in Biosciences from Jamia Millia Islamia, a central University New-Delhi. Simultaneously I trained and worked on various projects in microbiology at the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT),Delhi, plant biology at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute(IARI) & human genomics at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology(IGIB), most recently working on deletion of a metabolically implicated gene in the model organism Yeast as part of a project aimed at the recognition of predisposition markers for certain cardiovascular disorders.

My interests in general have been in Therapeutics and understanding the immunology, genetic cause and susceptibility to disease as also the possible treatment/cure to put in the simplest words. Specifically, from among the umbrella of BioMalPar research interests the topic of Antigenic variation in malaria excites me the most and I shall now be working on it at the Institut Pateur Pairs.  My outside interests are vast & varied and include, to name a few, reading ,writing (poetry),experimenting with various forms of sketching ,painting ,sculpture & art work, taking pictures, designing interiors (though I am an amateur at all of this!!!) ,listening to music, interacting with people, making friends and spending time playing with dogs, am particularly fond of animals!!!!

Project 2

Ms. Donatella Giovannini

donatella88@hotmail.com

 I am Donatella Giovannini and I am Italian. I studied biology at the University of Bologna (I) with particular emphasis on biochemestry and molecular biology. After my graduation I worked in the field of Bioenergetics in the labotarory of Prof. Melandri in Bologna thanks to a fellowship from MURST (the Italian Ministry for Research and Technological Growth). I also spent eight months at the EMBL as a scientist visitor; I joined the group of Bettina Boettcher in the Structural and Computational Biology Programme. But my main scientific interest is since ever parassitology, expecially the cell biology of the parasites. So finally, I have joined EMBL as a PhD student working on malaria. My main duty station is the Institut Pasteur in Paris where I'm working with Mr. Menard, but my project involves cooperation with Mr. Blackman at the NIMR in London and Mr. Matuschewski at the University of Heidelberg. If I'm not in the lab you'll probably find me in an african dance class or somewhere around taking pictures.

Project 3

Mr. Andreas Raabe

ac.raabe@web.de

My name is Andreas C. Raabe. I am German but spent my childhood in Africa, mainly in Mali where people suffer from the most severe form of Malaria. I witnessed what burden this disease is for the people living there and also experienced how bad this illness can be as I was also infected several times.

However, the personal experience is not my main motivation to work on Malaria. Actually, I am just fascinated by the parasite’s unique adaptation and its complexity and want to closer investigate this interesting organism.

I studied biology at the universities in Münster and Freiburg and stayed a year at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia to study bioinformatics and IT.

In the course of my studies I specialized in the field of immunology and wrote my diploma thesis on the ‘redox-regulation of the B cell antigen receptor signaling pathway’ at the Max-Planck-Institute for Immunology in Freiburg.

My project in the BioMalPar PhD program will focus on the role of phosphoinositide metabolites and their signaling function in different Plasmodium strains.

I always try to keep a good work-life balance by doing sports or playing guitar which I did for several years in a R&R band. As my best friends always happen to live somewhere far away, I also count travelling to my most enjoyed activities.

Project 4

Ms. Theodora Saridaki

saridaki@imbb.forth.gr

My name is Theodora Saridaki and I come from Greece and the beautiful island Crete. I studied biology in the University of Crete and continued there for my Master Thesis. During this time I rotated between different labs, worked on Plant Biology, Developmental Biology and finally did my thesis on Evolution and Development. When I saw the advertisement for the BioMalPar PhD programme, I became fascinated about the field of Parasitology. Having no Malaria background, I was impressed from each and every aspect of the parasite biology. Now I am working on Prof. Lanzer’s lab, on the trafficking and export of parasite proteins during the intra-erythrocytic stages of infection. I am currently investigating the signals that are responsible for the localization of the proteins and also hope to find the key players responsible for the trafficking of these proteins.

Project 5

Ms. Pattamawan Chimma

chimma@pasteur.fr

I am Pattamawan Chimma and I come from Bangkok, Thailand, the land of smile and beautiful culture. I grew up in the East of Thailand named Chon Buri, the area which is highlighted by delightful beaches, local colors, traditions, delicacies and fresh seafood. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Microbiology and master’s degree in Medical Microbiology (Virology) both from Chulalongkorn Uninversity, Bangkok, Thailand. I have been worked with HIV and also malaria for two years at the Center of Excellent for Flow Cytometry, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University. Since this unit is WHO training center (South East Asia and India) for HIV detection based on flow cytometry, I am responsible for training and developing a method for CD4+CD8+ detection in HIV patients. For malaria research I take care the project that aim to evaluate a novel culture system in which parasites are simultaneously cultured in different RBC populations. My interest in malaria is involving with the pathogenesis of parasites. I did not get EMBL predoctoral fellow at the first time, however now I am in BioMalPar PhD programme and joining the project with Dr. Pierre Druilhe at the Institut Pasteur. When I am free from the lab job I love to spend most time with learning Chinese horoscope and massage treatment, cooking, taking pictures and traveling.

Project 6

Ms. Fingani Mphande

finganiannie@hotmail.com

I am  Fingani Annie Mphande, I come from the Northern region of Malawi, which hosts beautiful parks, mountains and part of the great East African rift valley where Lake Malawi flows. Malawi is in Southern Africa and borders with Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania.

My vision of a career in science dates back from primary school, it all came into reality when I graduated with a BSC with credit from Chancellor College, University of Malawi in Zomba. I did biology as a major subject and organic chemistry as my minor subject.

Thereafter under the sponsorship of the Belgium Technical corporation (BTC) SADC grant I pursued a Master of science in applied microbiology (Food option) from the University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana.

During my MSc I worked isolation and analysis of fungi, aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid and the effect of insect pests in the distribution of fungal spores in peanuts. The most recent project I have worked on is a post-mortem study under the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme (MLW). I was working on the protein PfEMP1 in fatal cerebral malaria cases from Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi with Dr Jacqui Montgomery. 

 Continuing with malaria research, I have joined EMBL as a predoctoral fellow, in Heidelberg, Germany. The study is sponsored by BioMalPar Grant. I am  working with Prof Mats Wahlgren at the Karolinska institute

            In Stockholm.

I am interested in malaria research as the disease is claiming many lives of children under five years of age in Malawi as well as other malaria endemic regions. I hope we will come up with lasting solutions to combat the disease.

When I take time off the lab, I love listening to gospel music, singing (gospel), drama, sports, travelling to different places, walking, and watching movies.

Project 7

Ms. Valentina Mangano

valentina_mangano@yahoo.it

My name is Valentina  and I am from Rome, in Italy. I have studied Biology in the University of Rome “La Sapienza”. In the last two years of the course I have focused my interest on genetics, immunology and parasitology, what have lead me to a graduation project on genetics of susceptibility to malaria. My research aim is to explore the genetic basis of the resistance to malaria shown in the Fulani of Burkina Faso, as a way to identify mechanisms of protective immunity in malaria-exposed populations  and by so hopefully provide useful informations for vaccine and drugs development. I love to stay in the nature and travelling, so as often as I can I go camping or climbing, snorkelling…I also really like to spend time with children and I work in environmental education during the summer.

Project 8

Ms. Annika Rademacher

a.rademacher@ibmc.u-strasbg.fr

I was born on the 18th of July 1979 in Hamburg. But I grew up in Leer (Ostfriesland) which is a small city in the North of Germany. It is famous for the changing weather and for the flat country side with dykes. After I finished school I started to study Biology in Oldenburg and Würzburg. I put special emphases on my classes in Microbiology, Biotechnology, Genetics, Virology and Immunology. While I attended the university in Würzburg I had the opportunity to work practical at the Institute of Molecular Infection Biology where I investigate the nature of Salinomycin (SAL) resistance in Enterococcus faecium. During my diploma thesis I tried to find out more about the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and its genetic background from isolates of cystic fibrosis patients (“DNA Microarray-based Genomic and Molecular Analysis of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates of Cystic Fibrosis Patients”). With getting my diploma in March 2004 I completed my study. For the next months I continued my research activities at the same institute. I questioned how Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa interact in the lung of Cystic Fibrosis patients, I also used new methods to find out more about the resistance mechanism of Enterococcus faecium to Salinomycin.

Since January 2005 I am engaged in malaria research. I will do transcriptional analysis of the Plasmodium berghei parasite and its mosquito vector.

My research interests include mainly infectious diseases and its biology like nosocomial infections or malaria (risks, prevention, antibiotic resistance mechanisms, target finding, therapeutic applications, interactions with hosts)

Other interests include reptiles, traveling and sports (biking, badminton, skiing).

Project 9

Mr.António Mendes

ambmendes@hotmail.com

I am originally from a beautiful town in the center of Portugal, which goes by the name of Leiria, but more recently, I have lived in Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, where I studied Biosciences at the Instituto Superior de Ciências da Saúde - Sul.

My long time interest in functional genomic approaches to study biological systems and a fascination about the complex life cycle of the malaria parasite and its vector, took me to Dr. Dimopoulos lab at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA where I completed my last year project working on the analysis of Anopheles gambiae salivary gland transcriptome and the determination of regulatory elements that control gene transcription in the salivary glands.

I have now joined Prof. Kafatos lab at EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany as a predoctoral fellow, where I’m working with Dr. Dina Vlachou.

Outside science, my interests range from photography to comic books, including lots of music, live concerts and art exhibitions.

Project 10

Ms. Eunice Nduati

Enduati@wtnairobi.mimcom.net

I am Eunice Wambui Nduati. I come from Murang’a, which is on the slopes of the Aberdare Ranges in the central region of Kenya. I however live in the city of Nairobi, where I have been working at the Kenya Medical Research Institute/ Wellcome Trust Research Collaborative Programme. I studied for BSc. in Biochemistry and Chemistry at the Egerton University, Kenya. I later joined Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya for a MSc. Programme in Biochemistry. My general research interest is on combating the malaria problem. Specifically I have been interested in following up antimalarial drug resistance and the search for novel antimalarial compounds. I have been involved in a number of projects, and the most recent project has been in understanding the biochemistry of Plasmodium falciparum, mainly the folate pathway, as a basis for the development of potential antimalarial compounds. I have however been developing an interest in malaria immunology. Immunology is a fascinating field and the development of vaccines for prevention of any infectious diseases is indeed the ultimate solution. I am currently joining the EMBL – Biomalpar PhD programme as a predoctoral fellow. I will be working under Dr. Britta Urban, at the Centre for Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Oxford. Besides science, I also enjoy working with the community, specifically underprivileged children. I also love to travel and make friends. 

Project 11

Mr. Matthew McCall

m.mccall@ncmls.ru.nl

I am of British descent, but have lived in the Netherlands most of my life. I studied medicine at the University of Groningen (NL) and rounded off my clinical rotations with an elective in Infectious Diseases at the Radboud University Hospital, Nijmegen (NL). As part of my course I performed a 6 month research project on (rodent) malaria immunology with Prof. M. Good in Brisbane, Australia. I also spent three months working at the MRC clinics in The Gambia on a joint clinical/research elective. My research interests include both fundamental aspects of (malaria) immunolgy and clinical vaccine development. 

My wider interests include travel and development studies.

Project 12

Mr. Kevin Brick

kevbrick@lycos.com

I am Kevin Brick, from Cork in Ireland, which, this year,  is the European City of Culture.  I have a bachelors degree in Plant & Microbial Biotechnology from University College Cork, along with a Graduate Diploma in IT from the same university.  For the past year and a half, I have been working as a software developer for a company who provide calibration management software to the regulated industries.  In this context, I have been working for such clients as Glaxo Smithcline Beecham, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Roche, and GE Healthcare.  The time in between this position and university was spent travelling through Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.  My interest in the BioMalPar programme arose from the desire to merge my two interests - science and IT.  As a discipline, the study of Bioinformatics is new to me, but it is a field into which I am excited to progress my career.  I hope to use my strong biotechnology background and IT skills in unison to develop tools which will be of use to the scientific community, and which will help advance our knowledge of the malaria genome. 

Outside of the lab, I enjoy all sports, especially football.  I've recently been to Euro 2004 in Portugal, and look forward to taking in some Serie A matches during my time in Rome.  I also like to read and enjoy good company.

Project 13

Ms. Nancy Awah

wanancy@yahoo.com

I am originally from the North West Province of Cameroon though I have spent quite some time in Buea, a city located at the foot of Mt. Cameroon, where I pursued my University Education.

I graduated with a BSc in Zoology from the University of Buea (Medical Laboratory Technology option). Due to this long lost dream of going to medical school, I pursued an MSc. in Medical Parasitology with special interest in the malaria parasite. During my masters, I worked on the Epidemiology and consequences of malaria infection in school children in the Buea District.

Prior to becoming an EMBL predoctoral fellow, I have been working on a WHO/MIM/TDR sponsored project on antibodies, cytokines and gene polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of severe malaria. My major research interest is malaria immunology and pathogenesis geared towards vaccine development.

Outside interests include reading novels, watching movies, shopping, going places and visiting friends.

Project 14

Mr. Martin Rono

mkibet@nairobi.mimcom.net

I am a Kenyan by birth. Kenya, a country along the East African coast with good sandy beaches, rich flora and fauna, to name a few the “Big five game”. You also get to meet the famous Maasai know for their bravery of killing lions as a test of man-hood, not forgetting their rich culture.

Both my undergraduate (Moi university, Eldoret, Kenya) and graduate work (Kenyatta university, Nairobi, Kenya), have had a strong emphasis in chemistry, my M Sc. Research was on anti-leishmanials from medicinal plants. Additional training through the East Africa regional workshops on protozoan pathogens, these have been the hallmark of my interest in functional genomics.

My interest in malaria is on vector-parasite interactions with an emphasis on vector immunology. Other interest involves testing of anti-protozoal agents. This being part of my work at the Walter Reed Project, US Army labs. In KEMRI,  Nairobi.

A part from work I like catching up with latest movies, traveling, playing chess and hockey and taking nature trips.

Project 15

Mr. Ramadhan Mwakubambanya

mwakubaram@yahoo.com

I am Ramadhan Suleiman Mwakubambanya. I come from the coastal city Mombasa-Kenya. I hold a BSc in Biochemistry (major) and chemistry (minor) from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. For my MSc thesis, I was part of the East Coast fever (ECF) vaccine development team at International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI-Kenya). My role was to identify and characterize Bovine MHC class I genes restricting Cytotoxic T lympocytes (CTL) responses to one of the identified vaccine candidates. Right from my undergraduate course, I developed interest on molecular biology and immunology which I have come to realize they are critical fields especially in the vaccine development. Joining the malaria project is a step forward to me as I will be directly involved in fighting this deadly disease. Outside research, I like swimming, socializing, travelling and watching soccer.   

Project 16

Ms. Anna Schnitger

anna.schnitger@charite.de

I am from Germany where I have lived of most of my life in Berlin. After studying Biology at the Free University, Berlin and at the University of Wales, Swansea, I graduated with a German Diplom in Biology from the Free University. While focusing my studies on molecular microbiology and biochemistry, I became especially interested in the fields of infection biology and applied medicine. As a student, I joined Prof. C. Zouboulis` laboratory at the Department of Dermatology at the Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin (inter-university medical institute) to study the impact of neuropeptides on inflammatory skin diseases such as acne. For my diploma thesis, I worked on the development of immunotoxins for use in cancer therapy in PD H. Fuchs` group at the Department of Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry also located at the Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin. During my year abroad at Swansea University, I became fascinated by parasitology and pursued parasitology studies on returning to Berlin. My primary research interest is in vector biology of parasitic diseases. As a predoctoral fellow at EMBL in Prof. F.C. Kafatos` group, my special focus is on the immune response and defence mechanisms of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae to the malaria parasites. Further interests of mine are travelling and especially hiking, as I considerably enjoy being surrounded by nature. I also enjoy playing the piano, and from time to time the didgeridoo, an Australian woodwind instrument.