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6th DS-I Africa Consortium Meeting

  • David Nkurunziza

    Mr David Nkurunziza - Travel Awardee

    Makerere University Data Science Research Training to Strengthen Evidence-Based Health Innovation, Intervention and Policy (MakDARTA)

    BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH NAME: Nkurunziza, David eRA COMMONS USER NAME: DANKURUNZIZA POSITION TITLE: Graduate Student Research Assistant EDUCATION/TRAINING: BSc Biomedical Science, Aston Unversity (08/2020). MSc Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Queen's University Belfast (11/2023). A. Personal Statement My long-term goal is to advance TB research in Africa and I'm currently doing so by targeting rhomboid proteases in Mycobacterium tuberculosis for anti-virulence therapeutics. My MSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from Queen's University Belfast, paired with expertise in genomics, PCR diagnostics, and high-throughput workflows equips me for this work. At Makerere University, on the "Exploring the Role of Rhomboid Proteases in Mycobacteria" project, I have so far cultured mutants of M. smegmatis (ΔMSMEG_4904/ΔMSMEG_5036) cells for THP-1 macrophage assays and RNA-Seq to probe intracellular persistence. I complement this with Python and R skills for multi-omics analysis, aiming to integrate machine learning for TB studies. The DS-i Africa Travel Fellowship will fund training to bridge data to drug development against resistant TB. B. Positions and Honors Positions and Employment 2021 - 2022 Laboratory Technician 2025 - present Research Assistant and Assistant Lecturer Honors C. Contribution to Science 1. Undergraduate Research For my undergraduate thesis at Aston University, I conducted a systematic review of ranibizumab's efficacy and side effects for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). 2. Graduate Research For my postgraduate work at Queen's University Belfast, I reviewed novel binders for fumonisin B1 (FB1) detection in food.