Employing institution: Recherche Sante et Développement (RSD Institute)
Host institution: University of Bristol
Project title:
Immunogenetic typing of people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in Cameroon
Dr. Katte is a trained medical doctor, public health physician and early-career scientist specialising in global health diabetes care and research. He completed his MD (2011) and PhD (2022) at the University of Yaoundé 1, Cameroon and University of Exeter, UK, respectively. He works as a consultant medical scientist at the Recherche Sante et Developpement (RSD Institute) in Yaoundé, Cameroon. His research focuses on understanding the pathogenesis and aetiology of type 1 diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa.
AREF Fellowship research project
The phenotype and pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa are not well understood. The condition is understudied and underfunded, despite the high mortality rate of about 20-40% in the subregion. Findings from my doctoral studies showed that the majority of individuals clinically diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in Cameroon do not have islet autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), islet antigen 2 (IA2) and zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8). Whether there are other undescribed or novel islet autoantibodies in this population is unknown.
Dr. Katte aims to investigate whether there are other islet autoantibodies in those islet autoantibody-negative individuals by searching for islet cell cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ICA) using indirect immunofluorescence, and tetraspanin (TSpan7) using luciferase immunoprecipitation systems (LIPS).
His placement will be undertaken at the Diabetes and Metabolism research laboratory of the University of Bristol, working with Professor Kathleen Gillespie. Professor Gillespie’s lab has expertise in developing new biomarker assays with clinical applicability in diabetes care. This training will be invaluable to his career in the pathway of becoming an independent diabetes scientist. He plans to leverage this opportunity to build capacity to attract fellowships and grants to support diabetes research and implementation at his home country.
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“This AREF CDF Fellowship will grant me the opportunity to better understand the phenotype and manifestation of type 1 diabetes in sub-Saharan African populations.”
Dr Jean Claude expects to start her fellowship in July 2024