AFrIBOP 2022 Course

PhD Scholar Matrona Akiso recently attended the (AfrIBOP) Course in Malawi. This was a one week course on African Immunology of Parasites, Pathogens, and Pathogenesis (AfrIBOP) followed by another week of flow cytometry/bioinformatics training. The immunology course entailed talks and immunology lectures from well-known researchers from University of Glasgow, Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme, KEMRI Wellcome Trust and Kamuzu University of Health Sciences.

Matrona had a grant writing workshop where we were guided on how to successfully write and apply for grants. She was assigned into groups and each group tasked to write and orally present a project proposal within a given budget. The flow cytometry training was led by Hannah Scales from Glasgow University and involved some theory and practical sessions. She isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from human whole blood and stained for T cell marker and acquired the data on BD LSR Fortessa and BD FACS Aria. The data was then analysed on flow jo software. She was awarded a certificate upon successful completion of the immunology course and training.