Understanding the genetic diversity between Mycobacterium africanum and Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Dorothy is a microbiologist based in the bacteriology department of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. She is interested in host-pathogen interactions in mycobacterial infections. During her Fellowship, she aims to determine the transmission dynamics of TB and analyse for genomic diversity and differing gene expression profiles between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium africanum (prevalent only in West Africa). Understanding the diversity between the two main pathogens that cause TB in humans will provide useful information for new antigens, for both diagnostics and vaccine development, as well as targets for new drug design.

This grant was awarded under the scheme's previous name of Intermediate Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine.