Research output per year
Research output per year
KY16 9TF
United Kingdom
Accepting Postgraduate Research Students
PhD projects
Development, optimisation and field trials of rapid quantitative diagnostics tests for tuberculosis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Host Biomarkers for tuberculosis
Investigation of the drivers and burden of antibiotic resistance
Translation of health research innovations into policy and practice.
I am a biomedical scientist with interest in translational research, working on the interface of applied biological science and healthcare provision. My work takes a holistic approach from primary discovery and optimisation in the laboratory to addressing barriers of translating biomedical research innovations into policy and practice. Achieving this kind of work requires interdisciplinary approach and expertise, which I have achieved by bringing together international minds in various research consortia primary between UK and Africa but also continental Europe, Asia and North America. In recent years my group has focused on the development and optimisation of rapid tests for quantification of bacteria responsible for tuberculosis (TB) disease and exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This work has resulted in the tuberculosis Molecular Bacterial Load Assay (TB-MBLA), the first ever fully quantitative test for quantifying patient TB bacterial load and measuring the change of this load as patient responds to treatment. Working with interdisciplinary team of researchers from UK, USA and East Africa, we tackled the biolgical and socioeconomic drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and the impact of COVID-19 on antibiotics use and risk of AMR rise. Owing to the rise in epidemics of viral origin, my research portifolio has expanded to include molecular diagnostics for viral infections, vaccine development and access in low resource settings. Besides research I teach Introductory Epidemiology, Respiratory infections, and tuberculosis pathology, diagnosis and treatment to Bachelor of Medicine- and Interdisciplinary approaches to solving global health challenges to Master of International development- students. I contribute to advancement of research through guest/academic editorship (Frontiers Cellualar & Infection Microbiology, Frontiers Antibiotics, East African Science, and PLoS Global Public Health) and over 20 peer reviews per year for several academic journals. In addition I am member of fulculties of experts for different funding streams including UKRI Applied Global Health, South Africa Medical Research Council, Africa Research Excellence Fund, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Academic Adviser panel, NIHR College of Experts for the Global Effort on COVID-19, and Newton Fund Biomedical Sciences. I am Co-Chair Immunology & Diagnostics Working Group of the Coalition for Equitable Research in Low Resource Settings (CERCLE), Co-Chief Investigator Africa Vaccine Research Network (AFRIVAXn), Co-ordinator St ANdrews-Africa Health Research newtork (StAAHR) and a TDR/WHO Antimicrobial resitance Knowledge management consultant.
Tuberculosis, Respiratory medicine, Microbiome, Molecular Diagnotics, Antimicrobial Resistance, One health, Immunology/vaccines, Translation of Research to policy and practice, Low- and Middle- Income Countries research capacity building.
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Doctor of Philosophy, The mechanism of brain infection by the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, University of Birmingham
4 Oct 2009 → 10 Oct 2012
Award Date: 5 Dec 2012
Master of Science, The genetic mutations underlying the high bone mass disorder in a Dutch population, Vrije University Brussels
20 Sept 2006 → 30 Jun 2008
Award Date: 8 Oct 2008
Bachelor of Science, Evaluation of the cost-effective method to extract high quality bacterial DNA in resource limited setting in , Makerere University
1 Sept 2002 → 30 Jun 2005
Award Date: 25 Oct 2005
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Working paper › Preprint
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Zachariou, M. (Creator), Arandelovic, O. (Creator), Dombay, E. (Creator), Sabiiti, W. (Creator), Mtafya, B. A. (Creator) & Sloan, D. J. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 2022
DOI: 10.17630/f8989056-15ed-4fd9-81f5-69f098a39ca1
Dataset
Zachariou, M. (Creator), Arandelovic, O. (Supervisor), Sloan, D. J. (Supervisor), Mtafya, B. A. (Data Collector) & Sabiiti, W. (Data Manager), University of St Andrews, 19 Apr 2024
DOI: 10.17630/28cc5ee6-7cfa-4335-b591-e1e9247dc4f6, https://doi.org/10.17630/sta/858
Dataset: Thesis dataset
Beale, M. A. (Creator), Sabiiti, W. (Creator), Robertson, E. J. (Creator), Fuentes-Cabrejo, K. M. (Creator), O'Hanlon, S. J. (Creator), Jarvis, J. N. (Creator), Loyse, A. (Creator), Meintjes, G. (Creator), Harrison, T. S. (Creator), May, R. C. (Creator), Fisher, M. C. (Creator) & Bicanic, T. (Creator), The European Bioinformatics Institute, 11 Jun 2015
Dataset
Zachariou, M. (Creator), Arandelovic, O. (Creator), Dombay, E. (Creator), Sabiiti, W. (Creator), Mtafya, B. A. (Creator), Ntinginya, N. (Creator) & Sloan, D. J. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 29 Feb 2024
DOI: 10.17630/a4ccdb1a-53ea-4fb9-9fd2-807bfd2da05d
Dataset
Sabiiti, W. (PI)
European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership
1/10/24 → 31/03/27
Project: Standard
Sabiiti, W. (PI)
European and Developing Countries
1/06/23 → 31/05/26
Project: Standard
Sabiiti, W. (PI)
23/08/21 → 30/06/26
Project: Standard
Sabiiti, W. (PI)
1/12/24 → 31/03/25
Project: Standard
Sabiiti, W. (External examiner)
Activity: Examination types › External examination
Sabiiti, W. (Panel Member)
Activity: Membership types › Membership of peer review panel or committee
Sabiiti, W. (Panel participant)
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a conference
Sabiiti, W. (Participant)
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a conference
Sabiiti, W. (Speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
Sabiiti, W. (Recipient), 1 Jan 2016
Prize: Other distinction
Sabiiti, W. (Recipient), 4 Oct 2016
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
6/11/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Relating to Research
13/10/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Relating to Research
30/11/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Relating to Research
Sabiiti, W. (Participant)
Impact: Health and Welfare Impact