Employing (Home) Organisation: Nigerian Institute of Medical Research
Project title: Strengthening capacity for pneumococcal disease surveillance and AMR mapping in Nigerian children
Dr. Emelda Chukwu is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research, Microbiology Department of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR). She holds an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology. Her research interest is Infectious diseases epidemiology and genetic basis of antimicrobial resistance focusing on respiratory infections among children. Her goal is to advance the understanding of microbial diversity, distribution, and AMR transmission dynamics. The AREF Research Development Fellowship provides her with opportunity to acquire advanced molecular skills, build research capacity and strengthen international collaboration.
Summary of Project Destination
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of invasive bacterial diseases, in children <5yrs old. Nigeria had the second highest pneumococcal disease burden globally, with an estimated ~49000 child deaths each year. Characterisation of the circulating serotypes, is crucial for guiding development of future interventions. Emelda’s post-fellowship project will sort to answer the questions: which serotypes and lineages of S. pneumoniae are associated with pneumonia cases among Nigerian children? how does seasonal, geographical variations affect distribution, and AMR patterns of pneumococcal strains in Nigeria? Whole-genome sequencing will enable characterisation of resistant genes, virulence genes, lineages and genetic diversity. This approach will provide a comprehensive serotype distribution profile of S. pneumoniae in Nigerian under-5 children thereby enabling more effective monitoring of antimicrobial resistance trends and informing vaccine strategies.
Summary of Fellowship Plan
The placement at MRC The Gambia will be supervised by Prof. Antonio Martin, Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Global Health. MRCG is a world-class research centre with advanced capacity for pneumococcal identification and serotyping. The NIMR Central Research Laboratory is equipped with next-generation sequencing infrastructure, including Oxford Nanopore technologies and real-time PCR. Post-fellowship, these resources will be leveraged to build local capacity through step-down training and establish collaborative networks between researchers at NIMR and MRC The Gambia to strengthen research outputs
Quote
“Every insight gained into pneumococcal disease and AMR in children is more than data—it is a step towards safeguarding the next generation’s chance to grow and thrive“
Proposed start date of the Fellowship is October 2026