Background
He is a final year PhD student at the University of Buea in the department of Biochemistry and molecular biology. He has a BSc in Biochemistry and a Msc in Molecular Diagnostic science where he worked on Allele Frequency Distribution At Two STR Loci CSF1PO And TPOX Used In Human DNA Identification Among The Bantu Population Of The Southwest Region Of Cameroon. After his masters he worked as a research assistant in the project entitled “ Application of onchocerca volvulus infective stage larvae (L3) for the development of diagnostics, chemotherapeutics and vaccines to support onchocerciasis elimination”. For his PhD has joined the research group of Prof Charles Wondji to illucidate the transcriptional regulation of genes mediating insecticide resistance in Anopheles funestus, a major malaria vector in Africa.
Research:
- Areas of interest:
Insecticide resistance, malaria vectors, gene regulation, genomics and transcriptomics
- Research – an overview of his research areas(s)
His research interest centers around understanding mechanisms of Insecticide resistance in malaria vectors. His current research is focusing on transcriptional regulation of genes conferring insecticide resistance in Anopheles funestus s.s a major malaria vector in Africa and developing molecular tools to monitor insecticide resistance spread in field mosquitoes.
- Research Areas:
Insecticide resistance
Publications
1. Weedall, G. D., Mugenzi, L. M., Menze, B. D., Tchouakui, M., Ibrahim, S. S., Amvongo-Adjia, N., … & Wondji, C. S. (2019). A cytochrome P450 allele confers pyrethroid resistance on a major African malaria vector, reducing insecticide-treated bednet efficacy. Science translational medicine, 11(484).
2. Mugenzi, L. M., Menze, B. D., Tchouakui, M., Wondji, M. J., Irving, H., Tchoupo, M., … & Wondji, C. S. (2019). Cis-regulatory CYP6P9b P450 variants associated with loss of insecticide-treated bed net efficacy against Anopheles funestus. Nature communications, 10(1), 1-11.
3. Nongley, F. N., Mugenzi, L. M., Terence, E., Niang, A., Wondji, M. J., Tchoupo, M., … & Wondji, C. S. (2020). Elevated Plasmodium sporozoite infection and multiple insecticide resistance in the principal malaria vectors Anopheles funestus and Anopheles gambiae in a forested locality close to the Yaoundé airport, Cameroon. Wellcome Open Research, 5, 146.
4. Mugenzi, LMJ, Menze, BD, Tchouakui, M, et al. A 6.5‐kb intergenic structural variation enhances P450‐mediated resistance to pyrethroids in malaria vectors lowering bed net efficacy. Mol Ecol 2020; 29: 4395– 4411. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15645
