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6th DS-I Africa Consortium Meeting

  • Jacqueline Wahura

    Miss Jacqueline Wahura - Travel Awardee

    Enhancing Data Science Capability and Tools for Health in East Africa

    I am a biologist and data scientist specializing in host-microbe interactions in mosquito vectors, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms influencing pathogen transmission and symbiont-mediated protection. My doctoral research investigates how the endosymbiont Microsporidia MB affects Plasmodium falciparum development in Anopheles arabiensis, using integrative omics approaches, including RNA-Seq and 16S microbiome profiling. Through this work, I examine how symbiont infection modulates host immune pathways, reshapes microbial communities, and alters metabolic processes linked to parasite development. Alongside my research, I actively contribute to health data science capacity building through the Eneza Data Science Program, where I serve as a lead trainer. I support the development and delivery of training in programming, machine learning, data management, and bioinformatics for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers, with a focus on applying data-driven approaches to real-world health challenges. My technical expertise includes high-throughput sequencing analysis, differential gene expression, microbiome profiling, and data analysis using Bash/Unix and R. I am particularly interested in leveraging data science and integrative omics to understand host- microbe interactions and translate these insights into strategies for infectious disease control. I am committed to collaborative, interdisciplinary research and to strengthening health data science capacity across Africa.