Name: Dr Bright Adu

Academic Qualification: PhD, MPhil, BSc.

Professional Qualification: Immunogeneticist

Email address:: badu@noguchi.ug.edu.gh

Telephone: +233-302-501178/9

Fax number: +233-302-502128/513202

School/Institute: Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research

Department: Immunology

Short BIOS/CV

Personal Statement

My passion is to make immense contribution to improving the quality of human health by expanding our current knowledge in the field of human immunology and immunogenetics of infectious and non-communicable diseases through research and teaching.

Education

Jun. 2014: PhD. Bio medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Thesis: Immunogenetics of human malaria: Relevance of Fc gamma receptor and RNASE3 gene polymorphisms to the outcome of Plasmodium falciparum infection

Feb. 2011: MPhil. Biochemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Thesis:Immunological and genetic correlates of immunity to Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Jun. 2006: BSc. Biochemistry (First Class Division), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Professional Experience

2015-Present         Research Fellow, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana

2014-2014            Post-Doctoral Fellowship (GLURP Team), Statens

Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark

2010-2011       Research Assistant, Statens Serum Institute,

Copenhagen, Denmark

2007-2010             Senior Research Assistant Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana

2006-2007             Teaching Assistant, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

 Workshops and Conferences Attended

Merck Africa Luminary Meeting 2015, Nairobi, Kenya, November 2015

 2015 International Year of Light & Light-based Technologies, Accra, Ghana, September 2015

2nd Nordic Malaria Conference, Copenhagen,Denmark, September, 2012

1. o   Oral presentation: Fc Gamma Receptor IIIB (FcγRIIIB) Polymorphisms Are Associated with Clinical Malaria in Ghanaian Children

16th Human Genome Meeting 2012, Sydney,Australia, March 2012

1. o   Oral presentation: Fc Gamma Receptor IIIB (FcγRIIIB) Polymorphisms Are Associated with Clinical Malaria in Ghanaian Children

 1st Research Program in Global Health Annual Research Meeting, Copenhagen, Denmark, November, 2011.

1. o   Oral presentation: Polymorphisms in the RNASE3 gene are associated with susceptibility to cerebral malaria in Ghanaian children

International T-Cell Assay Workshop for Assessment of T-Cell Immunity to Malaria.Venue: Noguchi Memorial Institute For Medical Research, Accra, Ghana. January 2010

Training in Molecular Techniques for Genetics Studies. Venue: Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark. March to May 2009

Training in Tissue Culture using Epstein-Barr virus to transform and immortalize B-cells. Venue: Immunology Department of Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Accra, Ghana. January 2008

1st AFRO-IMMUNOASSAY (AIA) workshop on standardization of immunoassays for assessment of malaria vaccine candidate antigens, Venue: Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Accra, Ghana, 27th to 31stJanuary 2008

 2nd AIA WORKSHOP on standardization of immunoassays for assessment of malaria vaccine candidate antigens, Venue: Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Accra, Ghana, 18th to 21st  November 2008

 Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Training for DMID Clinical Studies. Venue: Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Accra, Ghana. April 2008

 Awards

Best PhD Presentation: 1st Research Program in Global Health Annual Research Meeting, Copenhagen, Denmark, November, 2011.

Research interest

My research interest is mainly focused on understanding immunogenetic factors that influence the outcome of host pathogen interactions and the mechanisms of pathogenesis mediated by these factors. Currently, my research includes identification of immunological and genetic correlates of protective immunity against malaria towards the discovery of an efficacious malaria vaccine that can prevent disease and/or interrupt transmission. I am keenly interested in human structural genomic/genetic variations and how these impact on susceptibility to both infectious and non-communicable diseases. I am also involved in malaria and helminthes co-infections studies and how helminths infestation impact on the immune response during Plasmodium falciparum infection.

Research Projects completed (within the past 5 years):

None

On-going research projects

Title: Functional immune-genetic correlates of malaria immunity

Duration: 2015 to 2019

Role: Co-PI

Title: Malaria – helminth co-infection in Southern Ghana: issue and challenges in vaccine development against placental malaria

Duration: 2016-2018

Role: Investigator

List of Publications:

1. Adu B,Cherif MK, Bosomprah S, Diarra A, Arthur FK, Dickson EK, Corradin G, Cavanagh DR, Theisen M, Sirima SB, Nebie I, Dodoo D: Antibody levels against GLURP R2, MSP1 block 2 hybrid and AS202.11 and the risk of malaria in children living in hyperendemic (Burkina Faso) and hypo-endemic (Ghana) areas. Malar J 2016, 15:123.
2. Tiendrebeogo RW, Adu B, Singh SK, Dziegiel MH, Nebie I, Sirima SB, Christiansen M, Dodoo D, Theisen M: Antibody dependent cellular inhibition is associated with reduced risk against febrile malaria in a longitudinal cohort study involving Ghanaian children. Open Forum Infect Dis 2015; doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofv044
3. Tiendrebeogo RW, Adu B, Singh SK, Dodoo D, Dziegiel MH, Mordmuller B, Nebie I, Sirima SB, Christiansen M, Theisen M: High-throughput tri-colour flow cytometry technique to assess Plasmodium falciparumparasitaemia in bioassays. Malar J 2014, 13:412.
4. Theisen M, Roeffen W, Singh SK, Andersen G, Amoah L, van de Vegte-Bolmer M, Arens T, Tiendrebeogo RW, Jones S, Bousema T, Adu B,Dziegiel MH, Christiansen M, Sauerwein R: A multi-stage malaria vaccine candidate targeting both transmission and asexual parasite life-cycle stages. Vaccine 2014, 32:2623-2630.
5. Adu B,Jepsen MP, Gerds TA, Kyei-Baafour E, Christiansen M, Dodoo D, Theisen M: Fc Gamma Receptor 3B (FCGR3B-c.233C>A-rs5030738) Polymorphism Modifies the Protective Effect of Malaria Specific Antibodies in Ghanaian Children. J Infect Dis 2014.
6. Adu B, Dodoo D, Adukpo S, Hedley PL, Arthur FK, Gerds TA, Larsen SO, Christiansen M, Theisen M: Fc Gamma Receptor IIIB (FcgammaRIIIB) Polymorphisms Are Associated with Clinical Malaria in Ghanaian Children. PLoS One 2012, 7(9):e46197.
7. Adu B, Dodoo D, Adukpo S, Gyan BA, Hedley PL, Goka B, Adjei GO, Larsen SO, Christiansen M, Theisen M: Polymorphisms in the RNASE3 gene are associated with susceptibility to cerebral malaria in Ghanaian children. PLoS One 2011, 6(12):e29465.