Dr. K. Badu

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     Email: kingsbadu@gmail.com

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Dr. Kingsley Badu holds an M.Phil in Clinical Microbiology and a PhD in Theoretical and Applied Biology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi, Ghana. He also holds other ancillary certificates  in Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (ASCB 2014) and Molecular Parasitology (BoP 2016: MBL,MA, USA).  His postdoctoral research at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR, UG), focused on immuno-epidmiology of malaria transmission, where he developed biomarkers of infectious anopheline bites. He is currently a fellow of the Africa Research Excellence Fund  (AREF) supported by the Medical research foundation, UK. Dr. Badu has extensive experience in investigating transmission of vector-borne infectious diseases such as malaria, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis and lately leishmaniasis. His research brings together basic laboratory science research and population level epidemiological surveys aimed at providing evidence to support national control programs.

 

Courses

BIOL 151 Cell Structure
BIOL 152 Cell Function
BIOL 251  Microbiology

Research Areas

1. Developing Biomarker(s) of Infectious Anopheles Bite with a Potential for Blocking Malaria Transmission ( http://www.medicalresearchfoundation.org.uk/aref/about-us/our-fellows/dr-kingsley-badu/ )

2.  COUNTDOWN Integrated Control Strategies to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis in Ghana

( https://www.researchgate.net/project/COUNTDOWN-Integrated-Control-Strategies-to-Eliminate-Lymphatic-Filariasis-in-Ghana )

3. Molecular barcoding and phylogenetic analysis of sand fly species implicated in leishmania outbreak in Ghana (TWAS-DFG (Ref.:3240285656) in cooperation with the University of Bremen

4. Immuno-Epidemiology and assessment of transmission intensity of Vector-borne tropical infectious diseases such as malaria, lymphatic filariasis onchocerciasis and leishmaniasis.

5. Epidemiological assessment of malaria and co-infections in endemic communities

Research Programme Summary

Heterogeneity in the risk of malaria exposure is present at all levels of endemicity, but becomes significant at the community levels. The so called ‘Hotspots’ of higher malaria transmission are likely to hamper malaria elimination efforts because undetected residual foci of persistent malaria infection seed transmission to the wider community. For this reason, assessment of infectious bites to malaria vectors is relevant to understanding spatial and temporal variations malaria transmission and facilitates targeting of control strategies.

When the malaria parasite is in the mosquito, very specific parts of the parasite (‘immunogenic epitopes’) interact with the mosquito mid-gut and salivary gland proteins.  When an infected mosquito bites people, the people produce antibodies to the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, including antibodies against the malaria immunogenic epitopes that interact with the mosquito.

I am interested in discovering specific molecules (biomarkers) detectable in humans that, when present, indicate the person has recently been bitten by a mosquito carrying malaria parasites.  Understanding who is receiving infectious bites will enable malaria control programmes target their activities on the most vulnerable populations.  In this way limited resources can be focused where they are more likely to have a greater impact.

Selected Publications

1. Iqbal, S.A., Botchway F, Badu, K., et al, Hematological Differences among Malaria Patients in Rural and Urban Ghana. J Trop Pediatr 2016 : fmw038v1-fmw038.
2. Bonyah E, Badu K , Asiedu-Addo SK: Optimal control application to an Ebola model. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2016 ; 6(4): 283–289
3. Badu, K., et al., Serological evidence of vector and parasite exposure in Southern Ghana: the dynamics of malaria transmission intensity. Parasite & Vectors, 2015. 8: p. 251
4. Dickinson-Copeland CM, Wilson NO, Liu M, Driss A, Salifu H, Adjei AA, Wilson M, Gyan B, Oduro D, Badu K et al. (2015) Heme-Mediated Induction of CXCL10 and Depletion of CD34+ Progenitor Cells Is Toll-Like Receptor 4 Dependent. PLoS ONE 10(11): e0142328. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0142328. pmid:26555697
5. Tay SCK, Badu K,  Mensah AA, Gbedema SY. The prevalence of malaria among HIV seropositive individuals and the impact of the co- infection on their hemoglobin levels Ann Clin MicroB Antimicrob 2015, 14:10 DOI 10.1186/ s12941-015-0064-6
6. Baum E, Badu K,  Molina DM, Liang X, Felgner PL, and Yan G. Protein Microarray Analysis of Antibody Responses to Plasmodium falciparum  in Western Kenyan Highland Sites with Differing Transmission Levels. PLoS ONE 2013.  8(12): e82246. doi:10.1371
7. Garms R, Badu K,  Owusu-Dabo E, Baffour-Awuah S, Adjei O, Debrah AY, Nagel M, Biritwum NK, Gankpala L, Post RJ, Kruppa TF. Assessments of the transmission of Onchocerca volvulus  by Simulium sanctipauli  in the Upper Denkyira District, Ghana, and the intermittent disappearance of the vector. Parasitology Research. 2015 ; DOI:10.1007/s00436-014-4287-9
8. Badu K - 2013 Evaluation of immuno-epidemiological markers for assessing malaria transmission intensity in the hypo-endemic highlands of Kenya and the accuracy of malaria diagnosis in the Holo-endemic forest zone of Ghana (PhD Thesis)  http://ir.knust.edu.gh/bitstream/123456789/6289/1/Kingsley%20Badu.pdf
9. Badu K , Afrane YA, Larbi J, Stewart VN, Waitumbi J, Angov E, Ong’echa JM, Perkins DJ, Zhou G, Githeko A, YanG: Marked variation in MSP-1₁₉ antibody responses to malaria in western Kenyan highlands. BMC Infect Dis, 2012. 12: p. 50.
10. Badu K,  Siangla J, Larbi J, Lawson BW, Afrane Y, Ong'echa M, Remoue F, Zhou G, Githeko AK and Yan G: et al., Variation in exposure to Anopheles gambiae salivary gland peptide (gSG6-P1) across different malaria transmission settings in the western Kenya highlands. Malar J, 2012. 11: p. 318.
11. Badu K, Brenya RC, Timmann C, Garms R, and Kruppa TF  Malaria transmission intensity and dynamics of clinical malaria incidence in a mountainous forest region of Ghana. In: Malaria World Journal 2013: 4-14
12. Mills-Robertson FC, Tay SCK, Duker-Eshun G, Walana W and Badu K: In vitro  antimicrobial activity of ethanol fractions of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob . 2012;  11: 16.
13. Tay SCK, Danuor SK, Mensah DC, Acheampong G, Abruquah HH, Morse A, Caminade C, Badu K , Tompkins A.and Hassan HA.  Climate Variability and Malaria Incidence in Peri-Urban, Urban and Rural Communities around Kumasi, Ghana: A Case Study at three Health Facilities; Emena, Atonsu and Akropong. International Journal of Parasitology Research 2012, 4 ( 2): 83-89
14. Tay SCK, Danuor SK, Morse A, Caminade C, Badu K  and Abruquah HH: Entomological Survey of Malaria Vectors within the Kumasi Metropolitan Area——A Study of Three Communities: Emena, Atonsu and Akropong J Env’tal Sci. & Eng B 1  (2012 ) 144-154 Formerly part of Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering, ISSN 1934-8932
15. Tuno N, Kjaerandsen J, Badu K , Kruppa T. Blood-Feeding Behaviour of Anopheles gambiae  and Anopheles melas  in Ghana, Western Africa. Journal of Medical Entomology 2010,  47, (1), 28-31

 Full list of published work as well as citations of each article may be found at Google citations at

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=de6nT0EAAAAJ&hl=en

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