Degrees:
2019
Doctorate Structural, Cell and Molecular Biology
Dr Ngwewondo Adela currently serves as a leading Research Officer at the Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies, Yaoundé, Cameroon. She is a holder of a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Buea and has keen interest in drugs and diagnostic research. She has been working in the field of drug discovery and development for the past ten years. Her dissertation focused on the “Activity of extracts and the pure compound Lantadene A against the adults and microfilaria of Onchocerca and Loa microfilariae”. Given that the adult worm of Onchocerca volvulus is not susceptible to the approved drug; Ivermectin, her findings prompted her to search for opportunities on how to move a hit molecule from the laboratory to the clinic. The WHO/TDR Clinical Research and Development Fellowship was just the right opportunity for her to foster her understanding of the Drug Discovery and Development pipeline. Her placement at Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative enabled her to enhance her skills on best-in-class drugs development practices. She actively collaborated in writing an expert review on “Onchocerciasis Drug development: from preclinical to humans” while actively taking part in the two clinical trials on Emodepside and Flubentylosin. She took part in the exploratory phase of target product profile identification for schistosomiasis. After taking part in such a wonderful endeavor, she successfully secured a grant collaboration with Merck Global health Institute on the impact of Schistosoma haematobium eggs on ovarian microenvironment and Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) development. This was an exciting new avenue for her where she would further implement her knowledge on drug discovery processes. Her focus is to work towards the discovery of new therapeutic options and diagnostic biomarkers for onchocerciasis and schistosomiasis which are neglected diseases affecting people in Low and Middle-income countries and the poor in particular. Dr. Ngwewondo has served in various professional and leadership capacities in various scientific research projects/initiatives. She is the Project lead on “Improving Clinical Research and Laboratory quality” in Cameroon, a training program sponsored WHO/TDR to achieve the goal of quality clinical/laboratory practices in the fight and elimination of neglected tropical diseases with measurable impact and value. She is an active reviewer of conference/ journal papers and also a member of the female Helminthology Group and Higher women consortium in Cameroon.