FAIS EXCO Nominations

Clive Gray CV

I am Professor of Immunology in Molecular Biology and Human Genetics at Stellenbosch University and was until recently the Chair of Immunology at the University of Cape Town. I am also Adjunct Professor in the Department of Immunology, Duke University. I have published over 120 papers on various aspects of human immunology and focus on HIV and reproductive ology. I am the recipient of six active NIH grants and have an active group investigating immunity in HIV infected pregnant women, HIV exposed uninfected children and immune networks in the lacenta. I have been to most FAIS meetings, the first one being held in Harare in 1992 and from 2014, I have sat on the FAIS EXCO and as secretary-general since 2017. During this time, I have worked with the current FAIS EXCO to increase membership and cohesion within FAIS and will continue this into the new executive. I will show leadership based around existing and enhancing scientific capacity, but also recognize how FAIS can be a voice facilitating continental health policies.

I am also an active player in the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS) by being vice-chair of the IUIS Education Committee. I am passionate about building immunology capacity in Africa and am Director of the Immunopaedia Foundation and run the award winning on-line immunology education and teaching immunopaedia platform. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was involved regularly with immunology courses around Africa and now in the virtual space. As Vice President of FAIS, I will make sure that FAIS is central to continuing and enhancing immunology education, promote immunology research on the Continent and be part of a dynamic FAIS EXCO that puts Africa at the forefront of immunology globally. As the President of the next IUIS Immunology Congress to be held in Cape Town in 2023, together we can realise this ambition, and which we have already begun through the FAIS Legacy Project.

Abdallah Badou CV

Dr. Abdallah Badou is a Professor of Immunology and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco. Dr. Badou has completed his Master’s degree and his PhD in Immunology in France. Afterwards, He joined the Immunobiology department at Yale University School of Medicine (Connecticut, USA) from 1999 to 2007, as a post-doc then as an associate research scientist. In 2007, Dr Badou decided to get back to Morocco and He is now affiliated to the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Casablanca.

Pr. Badou has a wealthy record of training and supporting young scientists in the US and in Morocco, having mentored over 50 scientists at all levels. He publishes his research in prestigious research journals such as Nature Immunology, Immunity, PNAS US, Front. Immunol. Dr. Badou is serving in the editorial board of several international journals. He is currently the Secretary General of the Moroccan Society of Immunology (SMI).

Dr Badou joined the FAIS ExCo members in 2017 as a treasurer. He has co-initiated and contributed to several important FAIS projects, including the “FLP” (FAIS Legacy Project). “FLP” is a major FAIS project, which consists of training African Immunologists through collaborations between African and IUIS-based international labs. Pr. Badou has contributed successfully in raising funds in the context of this “FLP” project. One major objective of FAIS is to train the next generation of scientists and a total of 78 African fellows (from all the 5 regions of Africa) will receive high quality training in the context of this project co-supervised by Pr Badou.

During this period of being at the ExCo, Pr Badou has also established strong collaborations and links with African scientists from all the 5 regions. He has in addition established close links with several African Organizations with the main objective being facilitating research and training in Immunology and related fields for African scientists.

In terms of communication, Prof. Badou has also been very active on radio and television. He has been educating the public on all matters related to the Covid-19 pandemic, basic immunology and vaccine development, including the importance and conduct of clinical trials. He was recently recognized for his outstanding contributions to public education.

Finally, with other ExCo members, Pr. Badou has been at the core of several FAIS projects. His nomination as Secretary General will be of great importance for the safe evolution of these viable FAIS projects. For all these above reasons, I strongly nominate Pr Badou for the position of the Secretary General of FAIS.

Lucy Ochola CV

The field of Immunology continues to grow across the African continent and plays an important part in our understanding of disease and our ability to fight various infections that plague the continent. In Kenya, Kenya Society for Immunology (KSI) has organized trainings/workshops and further worked to encourage students to seek opportunities in the field of immunology.

Personally I have supported KSI through hosting trainings and encouraging and mentoring the upcoming new generation of students. I also serve as a member of the education committee of IUIS and through this I am able to share the views and experience from the African perspective. My affiliation with IUIS has allowed me to strengthen my networks across the continent.

In my capacity as FAIS treasurer, I hope to bring new insights that I can share at the continental level. I will further take on this position with great commitment and integrity.

Heena Ranchod CV

Dr Ranchod holds a PhD in Biotechnology (2019) from the University of Pretoria. After completing a year of post-doctoral training at the University of Kansas, she took up a Research and Development Scientist position in my group in the Centre of Vaccines and Immunology, National Institute for Communicable Diseases. The group’s research focuses on investigating host biomarkers for Tuberculosis with particular focus on the enzyme Indoleamine 2, 3 dioxygenase. In addition, Dr Ranchod holds a joint staff position as a lecturer in the Chemical Pathology department at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Dr Ranchod is a self-motivated researcher who has learned to take the initiative in exploring new approaches to solve research problems. She commenced her staff scientist role as a dedicated, hard- working, meticulous laboratory worker and maturing into full independence over time. The strong points of Miss Ranchod manifest in several ways, including her zeal as a trainer of students in good laboratory practice. Because of this passion to teach, she has transitioned well into lecturing basic immunology to honours and masters students within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand.

In addition to her academic roles, Dr Ranchod currently holds the treasurer’s position of the South African Immunology Society. In this role, Dr Ranchod maintains the finances of the society, ensuring the society’s bills are settled timeously. During her term in office, she has managing to bring in funding from industry partners to fund the society’s upcoming virtual conference. Prior to holding the treasurer position, Dr Ranchod successfully maintained the society’s newsletter and social media pages.

When testifying along these lines towards the positive attributes of a candidate for Treasurer of the Federation of African Immunological Societies, one can easily sense the areas of application where Dr Ranchod will flourish and be an ambassador to any society. It is left to the adjudication panel to determine the suitability of Miss Ranchod for a particular application of the research fellowship.

Sabelle Jallow CV

Dr Jallow is the Principal Medical Scientist at the Centre for Healthcare-Associated Infections, Antimicrobial Resistance and Mycoses (CHARM) at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and a lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand, both in Johannesburg, South Africa. Before that, she was a Senior Medical Scientist in the Polio Eradication Programme for South Africa, run from the Centre for Vaccines and Immunology, also at NICD.

Dr Jallow completed her PhD in Molecular Virology at the University of Antwerp and the Institute for Tropical Medicine in Belgium and her postdoctoral work in Immunology at the University of Oxford before moving to South Africa to work at the Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit (Now VIDA) at the University of the Witwatersrand. She started her research career at the Medical Research Council, Fajara, The Gambia over 20 years ago.

Liliane Siransy CV

I am Dr. Liliane Siransy, Associate professor of immunology at Felix Houphouet Boigny University in Côte d’Ivoire. I would like to express my interest in participating as an active member of the new executive board of FAIS for 2021.

Immunology has always been my passion since I was young student. I love Immunology and I hope the best for african countries in the field of Immunology. We have our specificities and only africans can highligth them by their work and unity. I believe in Immunology and I am totaly dedicated to immunology. I have the capacity and I am willing to make myself available to dedicate the required time to contribute effectively for the success of this organization.

As a long standing academic, topics related to Immunology are my everyday job and duty. The position of FAIS’ Member attracts me because it’s a new challenge for me and all these experiences will allow me to take on new responsibilities with FAIS. I will be a valuable asset in the activities of our organization.

Dorothy Yeboah-Manu CV

Asma Gati CV

Currently, I am an associate professor in tumor immunology at the University Tunis El Manar, Tunisia, and the coordinator of Genetic, Immunology and innovative applications Master in the Faculty of Science of Tunis. I have extensive teaching experience as I was in charge for sixteen years of several course topics (fundamental immunology, immunopathology, biotherapy, cellular biology, Nervous and immune system interaction, ..) at Master and Doctoral levels. I also ensured the organization of several workshops, particularly on flow cytometry and cell technologies. My pedagogical experience goes beyond teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In joint work, I have found a professional master's degree in cellular technologies applied in bio-health and I am actually the head of the PAQ FST cellular technologies platform. I am in several committees in my Faculty and have been elected the last year as a member in the council of the university Tunis el Manar and the council of the biology department of the faculty of sciences of Tunis.

My background includes also twenty years of research experience in the antitumor immunology field, including my current role as a head of the research group: antitumor immunity at the laboratory of Genetic Immunology and human pathology and prior as a cancer vaccine researcher in the laboratory of Klinik und Poliklinik für Onkologie, UniversitätsSpital Zürich, Switzerland and as PhD student in Cytokines et Immunologie des tumeurs laboratory, Institut Gustave Roussy, France a world leading institution in cancer research and treatment in Europe. For my research activities in Tunisia, I have received generous funding, including research grants from the Ministry of Higher Education and from bilateral cooperation projects such as the Tuniso-Morocco project that I coordinate with Pr Abdallah Badou. I also received two funding from the Horizon 2020 Intra Afrique Mobility Program that have allowed me to collaborate with a two different consortium of 5 African universities each: BRAINS (MoBility for Research and African Integration through Health Sciences, coordinated by Strathmore University - Kenya (Coordinator Faith Osier) and the universities of Hassan II Casa Blanca- Morocco (Coordinator Abdallah BADOU), Cape Town – South Africa (Coordinator Clive GRAY), Sciences de la Santé de Libreville – Gabon (Coordinator Marielle BOUYOU-AKOTET), Gana, (Coordinator Gordon AWANDARE) and AFRIDI (Appui à la Formation, à la Recherche et à l'Innovation pour le Développement Intra-Afrique, coordinated by Tunis El Manar Univesity and universities of Tlemcen – Algeria, University of Gaston Berger- Sénégal, University of Douala - Cameroun, University of Ouagadougou - Burkina Faso and university of Antananarivo-Madagascar.

I am also well introduced to European Logical Framework and EU project management, as I am actually the National Contact Point in Tunisia for SMEs instruments and I’m contributing to the promotion of the Tunisian participation in Horizon Europe by helping SMEs to benefit from funding opportunities of this program, by organizing networking events and info days, and by advising them on EU laws and rules.

Since 2014, I have been an elected member of the board of the Tunisian Society of Immunology. During this period, I participated in the organization of the 10th FAIS-African Immunology Congress (Hammamet, December 2017) and several STI annual congress and international day of Immunology celebrations. As a FAIS executive member, I will work to promote communication between African immunologists and cooperation between African Immunology Societies and contribute to develop research in Immunology and advance Immunology teaching in Africa.

Tamabu Adjobimey CV

As the first president of the newly created Benin Immunology Society, I aspire to put my 10 years of experience as a research group leader in Germany at the service of developing the field of Immunology in my country. My goal is to motivate junior fellows in my home institution to embrace immunology and build the next generation of competent and dedicated scientists in and for Africa. In less than two years of existence of our society, my team and I have successfully organized six major international meetings and webinars with prominent speakers and hundreds of participants. My motivation to join the FAIS board as an additional member is to contribute with my vision, energy, and dedication in developing innovative programs and activities with the ultimate goal to foster inter-African scientific interactions while promoting immunology on our continent.

Fouad Seghrouchni CV

Dr. Seghrouchni is a PhD immunologist, affiliated to the “INH” (Institut National d’hygienne) in Rabat, Morocco. He is currently in the ExCo of the Moroccan Society of Immunology . He contributed during the latest 15 years at the supervision of several projects aiming at capacity building and training in the field of immunology, immunotechnology and related disciplines. Dr Seghrouchni has a particular interest in setting up technological platforms, which could be used for research, student training and patient diagnostic.

Dr. Seghrouchni is particularly sensitive to the importance of training African immunologists. Specifically, He has set up a flow cytometry platform, which has contributed strongly to training of Moroccan and African MSc, PhD students and post-docs. Indeed, He co-created and coordinated several specific training programs of immuno-technology for young North African researchers and healthcare practitioners. Furthermore, He is involved in education of immunology in several Universities in Africa and Europe.

Dr. Seghrouchni is an engaging communicator. He has the potential of creating important networks of scientist that are very needed for improving research outcome in Africa. Dr. Seghrouchni co-founded 3 and was the first President of 2 national associations. Currently, He is the President of the Moroccan Association of Cytometry and is still an active executive board member of the Moroccan Society of Immunology since 2010.

The Moroccan Society of Immunology is therefore delighted to nominate Dr Seghrouchni for the position of additional regional member in the FAIS ExCo.