Principal Investigator (PI)
Professor Kerina Duri
PhD, Virology-Immunology, University of Oslo, Norway.
MSc, Biotechnology, University of Zimbabwe (UZ).
BSc (Hons), Biochemistry, UZ.
Prof Kerina Duri is an associate professor at the University of Zimbabwe, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science. Her research interest is in understanding how maternal comorbidities such as HIV, Helicobacter pylori, intestinal helminth infections, malnutrition and mental health affect pregnancy outcomes, infant growth and health. She also has interest in immune development and dysregulation due to gut microbiota profile variations from birth to adolescence, with a special focus on HIV-exposed but uninfected infants and children. Using modest funding received from the Wellcome Trust for her postdoctoral work, the University of Zimbabwe birth cohort study (UZBCS) was established in January 2016 with the aim to understand why these HIV-exposed but uninfected babies were at higher risk of dying. The hypothesis was that their immunity was impaired during foetal development due to maternal exposure to HIV and the baby’s exposure in utero and during the breastfeeding period to the mother’s lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART).
1208 mother-infant pairs were recruited from high density residential areas in Harare. There has been an incredible accumulation of data. Mother –infant /children are now being followed up at year seven. The main strengths of this study are the relatively large sample size with appropriate controls and HIV-infected pregnant women, alongside HIV-uninfected pregnant women, recruited simultaneously from the same community. Thus, all research participants reside in highly similar environmental conditions in high-density areas of Harare, resulting in an unusually homogenous study population.
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Co-Principal Investigator
Professor Felicity Zvanyadza Gumbo
Professor Gumbo holds an MBChB degree from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) in 2000, Master of Medicine degree in Paediatrics-UZ (2006) and PhD with the University of Oslo in Norway (2012).
She is involved in running academic programmes, research, and clinical teaching. She is driven to continue designing useful innovative programmes and research to reduce child mortality and morbidity. She aims to develop robust collaborative research programmes and promote quality teaching in the short term for the country.
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Co-Investigators
Dr Mazengera
Dr Chimhuya
Dr Kuona
Dr Kandawasvika
Dr Marere
Dr Ziruma