Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Wealth Okete⁠⁠⁠⁠, The Immunology in Africa Podcast explores narratives at the nexus of immunology & Africa. We ask professors, postdocs, PhD students, and everyone in between to tell us about their journey into immunology, the questions driving their current work, and the impact they hope to make on the continent.

To support our efforts towards amplifying African stories of immunology, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buy us coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠nominate a guest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Launching in April 2025, our special TB Immunology series and first-ever disease-focused series dives deep into the science, challenges, and success stories behind the fight to end tuberculosis.

We’re joined by leading scientists whose work in TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine development is shaping the current landscape of the disease in Africa and globally.

Whether you're actively involved in TB research or simply curious about the field, this experience promises to be both eye-opening and engaging.

The fourth episode in the series features Solomon Jauro, a veterinarian and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, where he studies tuberculosis in non-human primates (macaque models).

Solomon trained as a veterinarian and obtained his master's degree at the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, before proceeding to the University of Pretoria, South Africa, for his PhD.

Unlike previous guests, Solomon's work on TB only took off during his postdoctoral fellowship, as his earlier work had focused on antimicrobial resistance and vaccine immune responses.

In this episode, Solomon talks about how his work on macaques co-infected with TB and simian immunodeficiency virus, SIV (a HIV-like virus) could shape current understanding of human TB-HIV coinfection. Overall, his research explores how different routes of BCG administration could confer enhanced protection against TB in immunocompromised macaque models. In addition to sharing what it'd take for his findings to be translated into humans, he also reflected on why African institutions should create structures that foster collaboration, particularly among young scientists.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:13 - MSc/PhD project; getting into TB

02:03 - More on PhD project: anthrax vaccines

05:25 - Macaques as 'ideal' models for understanding human TB

08:51 - TB-SIV co-infection in macaques

10:32 - Evaluating TB/HIV immune responses from intravenous vs intradermal BCG administration I

16:33 - BCG'osis in humans

18:09 - Evaluating TB/HIV immune responses from intravenous vs intradermal BCG administration II

21:48 - SIV viral load and BCG-induced TB protection

29:24 - Attenuated BCG for juvenile macaques

32:08 - Translating findings from macaque models to human patients

32:56 - Does BCG'osis associate with vaccination routes?

36:00 - If not TB, then what?

38:00 - Closing remarks: how African institutions can foster collaboration among scientists

41:20 - Outro