Mr Leonard Ndwiga

  • Research Assistant (Virology)

Biography

In 2024, I joined the MRC-Centre for Virus Research - Genomics Unit as a Research Assistant, where I contribute to various genomic lab projects and bioinformatics. My previous role as a Research Officer, for KEMRI-Wellcome Trust, focused on the genomics of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite to understand antimalarial drug resistance in Kenya. I then advanced to the role of Head of Sequencing, overseeing projects on viruses, bacteria, and vector surveillance, and providing training to researchers. Throughout my career, I have gained proficiency in Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing technologies, as well as bioinformatics analysis.

Research interests

My research interests are: Bioinformatics, viral genomics, host transcriptomics, Single-cell sequencing, training researchers in genomics, development and optimisation of sequencing protocols.

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019
Number of items: 15.

2024

Wamae, K. et al. (2024) Targeted amplicon deep sequencing of ama1 and mdr1 to track within-host P. falciparum diversity throughout treatment in a clinical drug trial. Wellcome Open Research, 9, 75. (doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17736.2) (PMID:37456906) (PMCID:PMC10349275)

2023

Okanda, Dorcas, Ndwiga, Leonard ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6825-0783, Osoti, Victor, Achieng, Nicole, Wambua, Juliana, Ngetsa, Caroline, Lubell-Doughtie, Peter, Shankar, Anuraj, Bejon, Philip and Ochola-Oyier, Lynette Isabella (2023) Low frequency of Plasmodium falciparum hrp2/3 deletions from symptomatic infections at a primary healthcare facility in Kilifi, Kenya. Frontiers in Epidemiology, 3, 1083114. (doi: 10.3389/fepid.2023.1083114) (PMID:38455911) (PMCID:PMC10910971)

2022

Lucinde, R. K. et al. (2022) Sero-surveillance for IgG to SARS-CoV-2 at antenatal care clinics in three Kenyan referral hospitals: Repeated cross-sectional surveys 2020-21. PLoS ONE, 17(10), e0265478. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265478) (PMID:36240176) (PMCID:PMC9565697)

Wamae, K. et al. (2022) Amplicon sequencing as a potential surveillance tool for complexity of infection and drug resistance markers in plasmodium falciparum asymptomatic infections. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 226(1), 920–927-920–927. (doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac144) (PMID:35429395) (PMCID:PMC7613600)

Kimenyi, Kelvin M., Wamae, Kevin, Ngoi, Joyce M., de Laurent, Zaydah R., Ndwiga, Leonard ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6825-0783, Osoti, Victor, Obiero, George, Abdi, Abdirahman i., Bejon, Philip and Ochola-Oyier, Lynette Isabella (2022) Maintenance of high temporal Plasmodium falciparum genetic diversity and complexity of infection in asymptomatic and symptomatic infections in Kilifi, Kenya from 2007 to 2018. Malaria Journal, 21, 192. (doi: 10.1186/s12936-022-04213-7) (PMID:35725456) (PMCID:PMC9207840)

Mwita Morobe, J. et al. (2022) Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Seychelles, 2020-2021. Viruses, 14(6), 1318. (doi: 10.3390/v14061318) (PMID:35746789) (PMCID:PMC9231335)

Osoti, V. et al. (2022) Targeted amplicon deep sequencing for monitoring antimalarial resistance markers in Western Kenya. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 66(4), e0194521. (doi: 10.1128/aac.01945-21) (PMID:PMC9017353)

Said Mohammed, K. et al. (2022) An optimization of four SARS-CoV-2 qRT-PCR assays in a Kenyan laboratory to support the national COVID-19 rapid response teams. Wellcome Open Research, 5, 162. (doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16063.2) (PMID:35330938) (PMCID:PMC8921690)

Nyagwange, J. et al. (2022) Epidemiology of COVID-19 infections on routine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serology testing in Coastal Kenya. Wellcome Open Research, 7, 69. (doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17661.1) (PMID:35505772) (PMCID:PMC9034174)

Lambisia, A. W. et al. (2022) Optimization of the SARS-CoV-2 ARTIC Network V4 Primers and Whole Genome Sequencing Protocol. Frontiers in Medicine, 9, 836728. (doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.836728) (PMID:35252269) (PMCID:PMC8891481)

Etyang, A. O. et al. (2022) Seroprevalence of antibodies to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 among healthcare workers in Kenya. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 74(2), pp. 288-293. (doi: 10.1093/cid/ciab346) (PMID:33893491) (PMCID:PMC8135298)

2021

Ndwiga, L. et al. (2021) A review of the frequencies of Plasmodium falciparum Kelch 13 artemisinin resistance mutations in Africa. International Journal for Parasitology. Drugs and Drug Resistance, 16, pp. 155-161. (doi: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.06.001) (PMID:34146993) (PMCID:PMC8219943)

Ndwiga, Leonard ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6825-0783, Osoti, Victor, Ochwedo, Kevin Omondi, Wamae, Kevin, Bejon, Philip, Rayner, Julian C., Githinji, George and Ochola-Oyier, Lynette Isabella (2021) The Plasmodium falciparum Rh5 invasion protein complex reveals an excess of rare variant mutations. Malaria Journal, 20, 278. (doi: 10.1186/s12936-021-03815-x) (PMID:34162366) (PMCID:PMC8220363)

2020

Uyoga, S. et al. (2020) Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in Kenyan blood donors. Science, 371(6524), pp. 79-82. (doi: 10.1126/science.abe1916) (PMID:33177105) (PMCID:PMC7877494)

2019

Wamae, Kevin, Okanda, Dorcas, Ndwiga, Leonard ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6825-0783, Osoti, Victor, Kimeny, Kelvin M., Abdi, Abdirahman I., Bejon, Philip, Sutherland, Colin and Ochola-Oyier, Lynette Isabella (2019) No evidence of P. falciparum K13 artemisinin conferring mutations over a 24-year analysis in Coastal Kenya, but a near complete reversion to chloroquine wild type parasites. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 63(12), 01067-19. (doi: 10.1128/aac.01067-19) (PMID:31591113) (PMCID:PMC6879256)

This list was generated on Sun Jun 15 04:57:07 2025 BST.
Jump to: Articles
Number of items: 15.

Articles

Wamae, K. et al. (2024) Targeted amplicon deep sequencing of ama1 and mdr1 to track within-host P. falciparum diversity throughout treatment in a clinical drug trial. Wellcome Open Research, 9, 75. (doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17736.2) (PMID:37456906) (PMCID:PMC10349275)

Okanda, Dorcas, Ndwiga, Leonard ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6825-0783, Osoti, Victor, Achieng, Nicole, Wambua, Juliana, Ngetsa, Caroline, Lubell-Doughtie, Peter, Shankar, Anuraj, Bejon, Philip and Ochola-Oyier, Lynette Isabella (2023) Low frequency of Plasmodium falciparum hrp2/3 deletions from symptomatic infections at a primary healthcare facility in Kilifi, Kenya. Frontiers in Epidemiology, 3, 1083114. (doi: 10.3389/fepid.2023.1083114) (PMID:38455911) (PMCID:PMC10910971)

Lucinde, R. K. et al. (2022) Sero-surveillance for IgG to SARS-CoV-2 at antenatal care clinics in three Kenyan referral hospitals: Repeated cross-sectional surveys 2020-21. PLoS ONE, 17(10), e0265478. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265478) (PMID:36240176) (PMCID:PMC9565697)

Wamae, K. et al. (2022) Amplicon sequencing as a potential surveillance tool for complexity of infection and drug resistance markers in plasmodium falciparum asymptomatic infections. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 226(1), 920–927-920–927. (doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac144) (PMID:35429395) (PMCID:PMC7613600)

Kimenyi, Kelvin M., Wamae, Kevin, Ngoi, Joyce M., de Laurent, Zaydah R., Ndwiga, Leonard ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6825-0783, Osoti, Victor, Obiero, George, Abdi, Abdirahman i., Bejon, Philip and Ochola-Oyier, Lynette Isabella (2022) Maintenance of high temporal Plasmodium falciparum genetic diversity and complexity of infection in asymptomatic and symptomatic infections in Kilifi, Kenya from 2007 to 2018. Malaria Journal, 21, 192. (doi: 10.1186/s12936-022-04213-7) (PMID:35725456) (PMCID:PMC9207840)

Mwita Morobe, J. et al. (2022) Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Seychelles, 2020-2021. Viruses, 14(6), 1318. (doi: 10.3390/v14061318) (PMID:35746789) (PMCID:PMC9231335)

Osoti, V. et al. (2022) Targeted amplicon deep sequencing for monitoring antimalarial resistance markers in Western Kenya. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 66(4), e0194521. (doi: 10.1128/aac.01945-21) (PMID:PMC9017353)

Said Mohammed, K. et al. (2022) An optimization of four SARS-CoV-2 qRT-PCR assays in a Kenyan laboratory to support the national COVID-19 rapid response teams. Wellcome Open Research, 5, 162. (doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16063.2) (PMID:35330938) (PMCID:PMC8921690)

Nyagwange, J. et al. (2022) Epidemiology of COVID-19 infections on routine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serology testing in Coastal Kenya. Wellcome Open Research, 7, 69. (doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17661.1) (PMID:35505772) (PMCID:PMC9034174)

Lambisia, A. W. et al. (2022) Optimization of the SARS-CoV-2 ARTIC Network V4 Primers and Whole Genome Sequencing Protocol. Frontiers in Medicine, 9, 836728. (doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.836728) (PMID:35252269) (PMCID:PMC8891481)

Etyang, A. O. et al. (2022) Seroprevalence of antibodies to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 among healthcare workers in Kenya. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 74(2), pp. 288-293. (doi: 10.1093/cid/ciab346) (PMID:33893491) (PMCID:PMC8135298)

Ndwiga, L. et al. (2021) A review of the frequencies of Plasmodium falciparum Kelch 13 artemisinin resistance mutations in Africa. International Journal for Parasitology. Drugs and Drug Resistance, 16, pp. 155-161. (doi: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.06.001) (PMID:34146993) (PMCID:PMC8219943)

Ndwiga, Leonard ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6825-0783, Osoti, Victor, Ochwedo, Kevin Omondi, Wamae, Kevin, Bejon, Philip, Rayner, Julian C., Githinji, George and Ochola-Oyier, Lynette Isabella (2021) The Plasmodium falciparum Rh5 invasion protein complex reveals an excess of rare variant mutations. Malaria Journal, 20, 278. (doi: 10.1186/s12936-021-03815-x) (PMID:34162366) (PMCID:PMC8220363)

Uyoga, S. et al. (2020) Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in Kenyan blood donors. Science, 371(6524), pp. 79-82. (doi: 10.1126/science.abe1916) (PMID:33177105) (PMCID:PMC7877494)

Wamae, Kevin, Okanda, Dorcas, Ndwiga, Leonard ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6825-0783, Osoti, Victor, Kimeny, Kelvin M., Abdi, Abdirahman I., Bejon, Philip, Sutherland, Colin and Ochola-Oyier, Lynette Isabella (2019) No evidence of P. falciparum K13 artemisinin conferring mutations over a 24-year analysis in Coastal Kenya, but a near complete reversion to chloroquine wild type parasites. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 63(12), 01067-19. (doi: 10.1128/aac.01067-19) (PMID:31591113) (PMCID:PMC6879256)

This list was generated on Sun Jun 15 04:57:07 2025 BST.

A head and shoulders shot of Leonard Ndwiga