Employing (Home) Organisation: Tanzania Industrial Research and Development Organisation (TIRDO)
Project title: Strengthening Genomic Surveillance to Support Control of Endemic and Emerging Zoonotic Pathogens in Africa
Dr. Gurdeep Jaswant is a Research Scientist at TIRDO with over ten years of experience in molecular biology, genomics, and zoonotic disease surveillance. She earned a PhD in Tropical Infectious Diseases from the University of Nairobi, where she used whole genome sequencing to investigate rabies virus transmission in East Africa. Her research generated over 400 rabies virus genomes from Tanzania and Kenya, creating one of the largest datasets for the region. The study revealed patterns of virus circulation, evolution, and cross-border transmission, highlighting the importance of regional collaboration and genomic surveillance in supporting rabies control and elimination efforts.
Summary of Project Destination
Rabies remains a significant public health challenge in East Africa due to surveillance gaps and limited use of genomic data in disease control. Building on her PhD research, Dr. Gurdeep aims to strengthen rabies genomic surveillance by expanding genomic data from underrepresented regions and animal hosts and integrating these with epidemiological and vaccination data. Through advanced phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses, she will identify transmission pathways, persistent areas of virus circulation, and key drivers of disease spread. The Fellowship will enhance her skills in genomic epidemiology, data analysis, coding, and science communication, enabling the development of practical decision-support tools for policymakers and One Health stakeholders.
Summary of Fellowship Plan
Dr. Gurdeep will undertake a Fellowship placement at the University of Glasgow under the mentorship of Dr. Kirstyn Brunker and Prof. Katie Hampson. Additional training through the Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA), under Prof. Thumbi Mwangi, will strengthen her expertise in data integration, coding, visualization, and translation of genomic evidence into policy-relevant outputs. Upon her return, TIRDO and the Ifakara Health Institute will support implementation of these approaches through mentorship, infrastructure, and integration into national One Health programmes.
Quote
“Strengthening genomic surveillance will transform pathogen detection into actionable public health intelligence, enabling Africa to better predict, prevent, and control zoonotic disease threats.“
Proposed start date of the Fellowship is June 2026