AIBBC 2021 Conference will provide a multidisciplinary platform for sharing latest research findings in biomedical, biotechnology and life sciences. Opportunities for oral and poster presentations will be available.
A list of confirmed speakers and conference program is available below. Please note that changes will be made without notice.

Confirmed speakers

Prof. Drew Weissman

University of Pennsylvania, USA
Prof. Shingo Inoue

Nagasaki University, Japan
Prof. Phillip Low

Purdue University, USA
Prof. Roderic I. Pettigrew

Texas A&M University, USA
Dr. Hiroko Hanzawa

Hitachi Center for Exploratory Research, Research & Development Group, Hitachi Ltd
Prof. J. Paul Robinson

Purdue University, USA
Dr. Sara Suliman

UCSF at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, USA
Prof. Chuck Henry

Colorado State University, USA
Prof. Akira Kaneko

Osaka City University, Japan & Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Prof. Masood Kamali-Moghaddam

Uppsala University, Sweden
Prof. Evans Chidi Egwim

Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria
Prof. Masahiro Hiratsuka

Tohoku University, Japan
Prof. Nicole Pamme

Stockholm University, Sweden
Prof. Aman Russom

Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Dr. Josiah Kuja

Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya
Dr. Wataru Kagaya

Osaka City University, Japan
Dr. Jacqueline C. Linnes

Purdue University, USA
Dr. Jesse Gitaka

Mount Kenya University, Kenya
Dr. Christopher K. Kariuki

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
Prof. Douglas J. Perkins

Center for Global Health, University of New Mexico, USA
Dr. Daisuke Kawashima

Chiba University, Japan

We welcome high quality research presentations on the following thematic areas (other relevant topics will be considered).

  • Assessment of Covid-19 impact on health in Africa
  • Molecular and cellular basis of communicable and non-communicable diseases (HIV/AIDS, cancer, malaria, TB, NTDs)
  • Cytometry for life sciences and clinical applications
  • Genomics, proteomics and their clinical applications
  • Advances in detection, diagnostic and therapeutic technologies
  • Drug resistance and antimicrobial stewardship
  • Point-of-care technologies for low resource settings
  • Strategies toward scientific and technological empowerment
  • Bioinformatics for risk mapping and surveillance of infectious diseases
  • Networking with industry (industry-sponsored talks, lectures, demos etc.)

Day 1 – Thursday , 11 November , 2021

Please note that time indicated here is EAST AFRICA TIME (UTC +3)

08:00 – 09:00Welcome remarks and announcements
Vice Cancellor, Maseno University, Kisumu County Official, Kenya
Session I – INVITED TALKS
09:00 – 09:25Elevated SARS-CoV-2 viremia in different ethnic groups: relationship with
increased COVID-19 disease severity

Douglas J. Perkins – Center for Global Health, University of New Mexico, USA
09:25 – 09:50An integrated strategy for sustainable freedom from malaria
Akira Kaneko – Osaka City University, Japan & Karolinska Institute, Sweden
09:50 – 10:05Integration of genetic and transcriptional profiles of innate cells to decipher mechanisms of TB susceptibility
Sara Suliman – UCSF at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, USA
10:05 – 10:20Genomics: a resilient approach to climate change, disease epidemiology and conservation of threatened biodiversity
Josiah Kuja – Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya
10:20 – 10:35Application of Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy and Tomography to Cell Measurement and Evaluation
Daisuke Kawashima – Chiba University, Japan
10:35 – 11:05Coffee break – Meet the exibitors
Session II – INVITED TALKS
11:05 – 11:30Advanced molecular tools for detection and characterization of exosomes and viruses
Masood Kamali-Moghaddam – Uppsala University, Sweden
11:35 – 11:55Biohacking for the Global South: toward self-sufficiency in molecular biology research and training in Africa
Christopher K. Kariuki – Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
11:55 – 12:20Exploring the biodiversity of Wetland ecology for sustainable African bioeconomy
Evans Chidi Egwim – Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria
12:20 – 12:45Cell culture innovation for regenerative medicine
Hiroko Hanzawa – Hitachi Kobe Laboratory, Center for Exploratory Research, Hitachi, Ltd., Japan
12:45 – 13:00
Sponsor Presentation – Africa Biosystems Ltd
13:00 – 13:45Lunch break / Meet the exhibitors
13:45 – 15:00POSTER SESSION
PLENARY LECTURES
15:00 – 16:00Development and evaluation of point of care tests for Rift Valley Fever diagnosis
Shingo Inoue – Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Japan
16:00 – 16:30Coffee break – Meet the exibitors (30 min)
16:30 – 17:30Development of a new therapy for P. falciparum malaria
Philip Low – Purdue University, USA
Session III – INVITED TALKS
17:30 – 17:55Recent advances in microfluidic paper-based analytical devices
Chuck Henry – Colorado State University, USA
17:55 – 18:20Preliminary findings on virucidal activities of extracts of selected Nigerian vegetables with potentials for use as Covid-19 therapy
Dickson A. Musa – Trans-Saharan Disease Research Centre, IBB University, Nigeria
18:20 – 18:55 ENMED: shifting the paradigm in medical education through blending of engineering and medicine
Michael R. Moreno – Texas A&M University, USA
19:00 – 21:00Dinner – Panel discussion

Day 2 – Friday , 12 November , 2021

Please note that time indicated here is EAST AFRICA TIME (UTC +3)

08:00 – 09:00Announcements
Session IV – INVITED TALKS
09:00 – 09:25Point of care Isothermal Nucleic Acid amplification Platform for Covid-19 Diagnostics designed to meet the needs at resource limited settings
Aman Russom – Royal Institute of Technology KTH, Sweden
09:25 – 09:50CYP2D6 genotyping analysis and functional characterization of novel allelic variants in a Kenyan and Ni-Vanuatu population
Masahiro Hiratsuka – Tohoku University, Japan
09:50 – 10:15Impact of IRS on malaria prevalence in the Lake Victoria basin, Homa Bay, Kenya
Wataru Kagaya – Osaka City University, Japan
10:15 – 10:40Microfluidic devices for analysis in resource-limited settings
Nicole Pamme – Stockholm University, Sweden
10:40 – 11:05Coffee break – Meet the exibitors (25 min)
11:05 – 11:20Sponsor presentation – HITACHI
Dr. Shinji Nishimura, Center for Exploratory Research, Hitachi, Ltd., Japan
Early career investigators
11:20 – 13:109 speakers selected from outstanding abstracts (10 min presentation + 2 min Q&A)
13:10 – 13:55Lunch break / Meet the exhibitors
13:55 – 15:00POSTER SESSION
PLENARY LECTURES
15:00 – 16:00Nucleoside-modified mRNA-LNP therapeutics
Drew Weissman – University of Pennsylvania, USA
16:00 – 16:30Coffee break – Meet the exibitors
16:30 – 17:30Engineering medicine for a global society
Roderic I. Pettigrew – Texas A&M University, USA
Session V – INVITED TALKS
17:30 – 17:55Development of point of care end game diagnostics for Africa
Jesse Gitaka – Mount Kenya University, Kenya
17:55 – 18:20Nanoparticle-based point-of-care molecular diagnostics
Jacqueline C. Linnes – Purdue University, USA
18:20 – 19:00Cytometry for Life: engaging and enabling science CLOSING REMARKS
J. Paul Robinson – Purdue University, USA
19:00 – 21:00AWARD CEREMONY / Banquet

Click on the link for a printable version of AIBBC 2021 conference abstracts.