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 second episode in the series features Simon Kimuda, a postdoctoral researcher in the Doores Lab at Kings College London. His work has largely focused on understanding antibody responses to tuberculosis, an area of research which remains underexplored in the field.

Simon leverages techniques in immunology and molecular biology to understand immune correlates of protection and inform the design of novel vaccines against respiratory conditions such as tuberculosis and hantavirus infections.

Outside of research, he actively contributes to mentorship and career development initiatives, enabling access to career growth opportunities for young scientists.

This episode explores Simon's journey in TB immunology, particularly antibodies, which has spanned more than a decade and earned him a Crick African Network Fellowship. Simon also talks about why we should pay more attention to TB stigma and embrace new paradigms to understanding TB.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:29 - Earliest steps in science and immunology

04:15 - Working with TB

09:30 - Heterologous (non-TB) antibody responses in people with active TB

15:02 - More on TB antibody responses | affinity and avidity

17:10 - Antibody responses in TB vaccines: BCG and future vaccines

23:45 - Crick African Network Fellowship | TB growth inhibition; antibody responses to TB surface sugars

31:11 - Linking current postdoctoral research on hantaviruses and interest in TB

36:50 - What's next, if funding was not a limitation

39:55 - What current TB paradigms need to change in Africa

44:45 - Closing remarks | The importance of mentorship

46:27 - Outro