Employing institution: University of Lagos
Host institution: One Health (HIOH)
Project title:
Genomic epidemiology of multidrug resistant hypervirulent K. pneumoniae from health care infections in Nigeria.
Dr Adenipekun holds a PhD in medical microbiology. She lectures medical microbiology and molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases at the department of medical laboratory science, University of Lagos. Her research is focused on using genomics and bioinformatics to analyze genomic epidemiological data on emerging critical Gram-negative pathogens from healthcare infections and in “One Health “context. She is interested in the development of novel anti-infectives to combat antimicrobial resistance with eco-friendly nanomaterials. Her PhD co-supervisor inspired her for the AREF award.
AREF Fellowship research project
Klebsiella pneumoniae remains a major threat to global health due to the emergence and spread of multidrug resistant strains with hypervirulence phenotypes. Hypervirulent strains are invasive and has the tendency for metastatic spread to the liver which is uncommon among enteric organisms. Despite the rising burden of K. pneumoniae, data on the hypervirulent strains are lacking. The prevalence and genetic basis of convergence and hypervirulence among ESBL and carbapenemase producing K. pneumoniae in Nigeria is unspecified. The study will deploy whole genome sequencing (WGS) and bioinformatic tools to investigate the epidemiology, clonal diversity, antimicrobial resistance, and (hyper)virulence of convergent K. pneumoniae in Nigeria. The molecular epidemiology data will aid public health surveillance, diagnostics and case management with appropriate antibiotics treatments. Dr Adenipekun’s placement is at the Helmholtz institute for one health (HIOH) in Germany at the laboratory of Prof. Dr Katharina Schaufler. She will develop capacity in whole genome sequencing, nanopore long read sequencing, bioinformatics and biostatistics. With the support of her home institution, she will collaborate with the existing infection control unit and genomics epidemiology laboratory for national surveillance on priority pathogens and infection control. She will be supported in organizing her capacity building workshops training in molecular techniques.
Quote
Building genomic and bioinformatics capacity will aid early identification, tracking dissemination and efficient monitoring of emerging pathogens of public health importance in Africa and globally.