About us

Infectious diseases account for at least 69% of deaths in Africa . The five biggest infectious killers in Africa are acute respiratory infections, HIV/AIDS, diarrhea, malaria and tuberculosis, responsible for nearly 80% of the total infectious disease burden and claiming more than 6 million people per year. COVID-19 seems to be competing to get its place.  

Bernard Kanoi's Malaria Research Group, hosted at the  Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), Directorate of Research and Innovation, Mount Kenya University, Thika, Kenya, is  working towards developing tools for tackling this burden.  The group's current studies focus on understanding how immunity against malaria-causing parasite is acquired (or lost) in children and during pregnancy, and how it mediates protection against subsequent infections, for vaccines and immunotherapeutics development.  Other studies focus on immunology of COVID-19 and Tuberculosis (TB - caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis).  We  work closely with Gitaka Lab and the Center for Malaria Elimination (CME).

We use immunological and molecular biology tools to study the biology of malaria parasites and other infectious diseases.  Our team is made up of  young and ambitious members with a broad interest in different aspects of infectious diseases.

One of our key projects , " Systematic prioritization and initial characterization of Plasmodium falciparum vaccine antigens against pregnancy associated malaria"   is part of the EDCTP2 programme supported by the European Union (read more). We have also received funding from AAS to tackle other challenges.