Innocent MBULLI ALI

University of Yaounde 1    

Post-doc     

Project title: Application of a modified P. falciparum molecular barcode to track parasite genetic diversity and drug resistance markers in seasonal malaria chemoprevention settings in Central and West Africa.     

Innocent graduated recently with a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Yaounde 1, Cameroon. Based at the Biotechnology Centre, he carries out research on malaria molecular epidemiology and host response in pathogen infections. For more than six years, he characterised clinical sites for malaria drug trials, coordinated a WHO/TDR capacity building investigator-initiated drug trial in Cameroon. His postdoc fellowship within MARCAD will develop a DNA barcode assay to simultaneously detect and track parasite drug resistance molecular markers as well as the population level transmission effects of amodiaquine-sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine in the context of seasonal malaria chemoprevention in the Central and West Africa. The new tool may further drive the elimination of malaria in the Sahel. Prior to MARCAD, he lectured at the University of Dschang, Cameroon. He intends to stay in Cameroon, and in the long-run build his own malaria research team, continue teaching and modeling knowledge translation for disease elimination.