Dr. Gnatoulma Katawa
Dr. Gnatoulma Katawa
Director of publication
Women Scientists in Microbiology, Immunology and Biotechnology
Assistant Professor, Group Leader UR2IM
University of Lomé (Togo)
Principal investigator,
DFG Infectiology projects (BonTo and GSAT), Togo
Biography
I was granted for the German academic exchange program (DAAD) in 2011.
To contribute to the capacity building in my home country, I established a research unit called “Unité de Recherche en Immunologie et Immunomodulation (UR2IM)”. Futhermore, my research area focuses on host-pathogen interactions, immunology in chronic diseases, immunological disorders and anti-inflammatory bioactive molecules.
Nevertheless, UR2IM aims to promote young women in scientific research by offering them a suitable platform to assert themselves. Therefore, 80% of our students and postdocs are women. So, as Editor at Frontiers in Parasitology, immunity and immune evasion, I aim with this journal to give women scientists the opportunity to promote their research work. It offers them a platform for exchanging and sharing knowledge and actively contribute to the evolution of the scientific community.
Dr. Christèle Nguepou Tchopba
Dr. Christèle Nguepou Tchopba
Editor-in-chief
Women Scientists in Microbiology, Immunology and Biotechnology
Adjunct researcher
Unité de Recherche en Immunologie et Immuno-modulation (UR2IM)
Post Doctoral Researcher
West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana
Biography
I have a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology. My interest is on host-pathogen interactions, anti-microbial resistance, vaccine responses, sickle cell disease, and development of treatments adapted to African context. I have a background of 8 years in medical laboratory science. Thus, I provided my services to private medical laboratories in the areas of microbiology, parasitology, immuno-serology, medical biochemistry and endocrinology. There, I held respectively the positions of lab scientist for 6 years and lab manager for 2 years. Then, I decided to focus in Biomedical Research thanks to the trainings, motivation and empowerment I received from Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF). Therefore, through this platform, I am delighted to help scientist (women in particular) share their knowledge and findings.
Hombamane Christelle Simfele
Hombamane Christelle Simfele
Associate Editor
Women Scientists in Microbiology, Immunology and Biotechnology
University of Lomé, Lomé, Togo
PhD
Biography
I am a holder of a Msc in Microbial and Cellular Biotechnology. In addition, I am a PhD student in Microbiology-Immunology (University of Lomé, Lomé, Togo) and granted for the International Society for Infectious Diseases/Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Research Capacity Building (ISID/BMGF-2023). Nevertheless, I am a medical biologist at the Institut National d'Hygiène (INH). It is a research institution which acts as Togo's central public health laboratory. I benefit from the research platform of the Unité de Recherche en Immunologie et Immunomodulation (UR2IM) at the University of Lomé; where I also contribute to student’s training. My main research activities focus on the epidemiology of neglected tropical diseases, anti-parasite immunity and the role of NK cells in the pathophysiology of hookworm infection. I join the WSMIB team as Associate Editor.
Edlom Pélagie TCHADIE
Edlom Pélagie TCHADIE
Marketing and Communication Officer
Women Scientists in Microbiology, Immunology and Biotechnology
University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
PhD
Biography
I hold a Master degree in Immunology from the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Abomey Calavi (Benin) and currently hold a position of PhD student at the University of Tübingen (Germany) in partnership with the "Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, CERMEL" (Gabon). My early research work began at the "Unité de Recherche en Immunologie et Immunomodulation, UR2IM" on auto-immune diseases with a focus on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients immune profile and their in vitro immune response to anti-inflammatory plants extracts. I worked further for three years as a Medical Technical Assistant on DFG Infectiology GSAT project and got skills in characterizing the modulation of host immune response by helminth infections using different immunological techniques. My current interest as a PhD student is to investigate the influence of exposure to tropical diseases on the immune response to emerging diseases.
As a woman scientist, I am convinced that encouraging women capacity building would be a great contribution for scientific knowledge, control and elimination of infectious diseases.