This PhD opportunity is being offered as part of the LSTM and Lancaster University Doctoral Training Partnership. Find out more about the studentships and how to apply.
| Abstract | Schistosomiasis continues to be a major public health burden in Cameroon. Despite an active national control programme, areas of Cameroon have witnessed diminished impact of mass drug administration on parasite indicators such as prevalence and intensity of infection in primary schools. Part of this recalcitrant reaction is likely due to cryptic diversity within Schistosoma haematobium, owing to hybridisation with Schistosoma bovis, and establishing more ingrained environmental transmission. Following the Wellcome Trust Discovery Award, a newly started 8-year project, entitled SHIS-CAM, will explore the impact of biannual treatment in primary schools and closely monitor the transmission and putative impacts of zoonotic spill-over. The PhD project will interface with this advanced surveillance and develop an aligned research agenda that develops a molecular xenomonitoring approach for local freshwater snails, and eDNA methods to detect parasites of interest through time. The studentship will have a combination of laboratory work in the UK and Cameroon and participate in the wider research effort. The project is led locally by Prof L-A Tchuem-Tchuente (who is also Honorary Professor within Tropical Disease Biology, LSTM) and involves collaboration with Prof J Boissier, University of Perpignan. Some ability to converse in French would be a distinct advantage for prospective students, or language training will be provided as part of the development and training plan. |
| Where does this project lie in the translational pathway? | T1 - Basic Research |
| Expected outputs | To be in synergism with SHIS-CAM outputs inclusive of reports, publications and associated future funding applications. |
| Training opportunities | As before the student would apply for the following courses when advertised for the 2025-2028 period. 1. Bioinformatics for Biologists. Wellcome Connecting Science. Three-week online course. June 2024. 2. Infectious Disease ‘Omics. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. December 2023. Five-day course. 3. ONT MinION and PacBio longread quality control. NERC Environmental ‘Omics Facility (NEOF). Online course. October 2023. 4. Unix for Bioinformatics. NERC Environmental ‘Omics Facility (NEOF). Online course. October 2023. |
| Skills required | A background in molecular epidemiology preferably with a MSc in an aligned subject area. Some experience in fieldwork in LMICs and resource poor settings is desirable. |
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Key Publications associated with this project |
Tchuem Tchuenté LA, Rollinson D, Stothard JR, Molyneux D. Moving from control to elimination of schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa: time to change and adapt strategies. Infect Dis Poverty. 2017 Feb 20;6(1):42. doi: 10.1186/s40249-017-0256-8. PMID: 28219412; PMCID: PMC5319063. |
| Stothard JR, Campbell SJ, Osei-Atweneboana MY, Durant T, Stanton MC, Biritwum NK, Rollinson D, Ombede DR, Tchuem-Tchuenté LA. Towards interruption of schistosomiasis transmission in sub-Saharan Africa: developing an appropriate environmental surveillance framework to guide and to support 'end game' interventions. Infect Dis Poverty. 2017 Jan 14;6(1):10. doi: 10.1186/s40249-016-0215-9. PMID: 28088239; PMCID: PMC5237522. | |
| Teukeng FFD, Blin M, Bech N, Gomez MR, Zein-Eddine R, Simo AMK, Allienne JF, Tchuem-Tchuenté LA, Boissier J. Hybridization increases genetic diversity in Schistosoma haematobium populations infecting humans in Cameroon. Infect Dis Poverty. 2022 Mar 26;11(1):37. doi: 10.1186/s40249-022-00958-0. PMID: 35346375; PMCID: PMC8962594. | |
| Kokaliaris C, Garba A, Matuska M, Bronzan RN, Colley DG, Dorkenoo AM, Ekpo UF, Fleming FM, French MD, Kabore A, Mbonigaba JB, Midzi N, Mwinzi PNM, N'Goran EK, Polo MR, Sacko M, Tchuem Tchuenté LA, Tukahebwa EM, Uvon PA, Yang G, Wiesner L, Zhang Y, Utzinger J, Vounatsou P. Effect of preventive chemotherapy with praziquantel on schistosomiasis among school-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa: a spatiotemporal modelling study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2022 Jan;22(1):136-149. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00090-6. Epub 2021 Dec 2. Erratum in: Lancet Infect Dis. 2022 Jan;22(1):e1. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00771-4. PMID: 34863336; PMCID: PMC8695385. | |
| Reed AL, Al-Harbi MH, Makaula P, Condemine C, Hesketh J, Archer J, Jones S, Kayuni SA, Musaya J, Stanton MC, Stothard JR, Fronterre C, Jewell C. A geospatial analysis of local intermediate snail host distributions provides insight into schistosomiasis risk within under-sampled areas of southern Lake Malawi. Parasit Vectors. 2024 Jun 27;17(1):272. doi: 10.1186/s13071-024-06353-y. PMID: 38937778; PMCID: PMC11209974. |