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Research Across the African Continent

KidneyGenAfrica is a Pan-African partnership project dedicated to transforming the landscape of kidney disease research across the continent. The partnership's aim is to accelerate knowledge in kidney disease genomics by fostering multi-centre collaboration, enabling large-scale genomics studies, and creating training opportunities that will empower the next generation of African scientists.

Through this initiative, over 100 early career researchers across Africa will gain access to mentorship, cutting-edge tools and trainings, opening doors to unparalleled opportunities to advance their careers in genomics. KidneyGenAfrica is paving the way for innovative discoveries that will shape the future of kidney disease research and treatment.

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Kidney Disease: Bridging the gap in genomics in Africa

More than 850 million people worldwide are affected by kidney disease. This is almost double the number of people who have diabetes and 20 times more than the prevalence of cancer worldwide or people living with HIV/AIDS.

In Africa, the burden of kidney disease is rising rapidly, yet critical questions about its prevalence and causes remain unanswered due to limited data and low-quality studies. This gap highlights not just a challenge, but a powerful opportunity to transform kidney disease genomics research.

Currently, Africa represents just 1.1% of global genome-wide analysis data, leading to underrepresentation in studies and solutions. KidneyGenAfrica is committed to closing this gap by elevating African genomics research.

The Team

This partnership is led by Prof. Segun Fatumo and Prof. June Fabian.

Segun Fatumo

Project Lead

Location

Queen Mary University of London & MRC Uganda

Bio

Segun Fatumo is Professor and Chair of Genomic Diversity at Queen Mary University of London and the Head of NCD Genomics at the MRC Uganda. He specialises in the genomics of African populations, applying approaches such as GWAS, Polygenic Risk…

June Fabian

Project Lead

Location

University of Witwatersrand

Bio

June Fabian is a nephrologist and clinical epidemiologist with a special interest in the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Africa. She is the founding member of the African Research on Kidney Disease (ARK) Consortium, which includes collaborations across…

Mia Crampin

Projects Partners

Location

Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit (MEIRU)

Bio

Prof. Mia Crampin is an epidemiologist and director of MEIRU. After graduating from a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from Manchester Medical school she became interested in Public Health and Epidemiology. Through an appointment at the London School of Hygiene…

Oyekanmi Nash

Project Partners

Location

NABDA/CGRI

Bio

Prof Oyekanmi Nash, is the Research Director of Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics Department at the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA). He is also the Director of the Centre for Genomics Research and Innovation (CGRI). He graduated with PhD in Molecular…

Moffat Nyirenda

Project Partners

Location

MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit

Bio

Prof Moffat Nyirenda is director of the MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit. He holds a PhD in Molecular Medicine from the University of Edinburgh and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. His research explores links between…

Michele Ramsay

Project Partners

Location

University of Witwatersrand

Bio

Prof. Michèle Ramsay is a geneticist at the University of the Witwatersrand, focusing on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in African populations. She investigates genetic and epigenetic factors influencing obesity, hypertension, and kidney disease, integrating molecular and epidemiological methods. As director of…

Adebowale Adeyemo

Project Partners

Location

National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health

Bio

Dr Adebowale Adeyemo is a paediatrician and genetic epidemiologist. He trained as a medical doctor undertaking residencies in paediatrics and genetics in Nigeria. He then moved to Howard University in Washington DC to work in genetic epidemiology at the National…

Charles Rotimi

Project Partners

Location

National Institute of Health

Bio

Dr. Rotimi is a genetic epidemiologist whose work bridges genomics and global health. He founded the trans-institute Centre for Research on Genomics and Global Health at the NIH in 2009 with the mission of advancing research into the role of…

Robert Kalyesubula

Project Collaborators

Location

MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit

Bio

Dr Robert Kalyesubula is a nephrologist and epidemiologist specialising in non-communicable diseases in Africa. He is a senior lecturer and head of Physiology at Makerere University, with a PhD in epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.…

Babatunde Lawal Salako

Project Collaborators

Location

College of Medicine, University of Ibadan

Bio

Prof. Babatunde Salako is a physician and epidemiologist committed to addressing kidney disease and hypertension in Africa. He is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Ibadan and former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research. He has…

Nicola Mulder

Project Collaborators

Location

University of Cape Town

Bio

Prof. Nicola Mulder leads the Computational Biology Division at the University of Cape Town and the H3ABioNet Pan-African Bioinformatics Network. H3ABioNet aims to develop bioinformatics capacity to enable genomic data analysis on the continent. She is also co-PI of a…

Dorothea Nitsch

Project Collaborators

Location

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Bio

Prof Dorothea Nitsch is a nephrologist and epidemiologist focusing on kidney disease and public health. She is a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and an honorary consultant nephrologist at the Royal Free London NHS Trust.…

Laurie Tomlinson

Project Collaborators

Location

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Bio

Laurie trained in Medicine and continues to do clinical work as an Honorary Consultant Nephrologist at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. Having trained as a specialist she worked as a clinical lecturer at the University of Cambridge before…

Andrew P Morris

Project Collaborators

Location

University of Manchester

Bio

Andrew Morris is Chair in Statistical Genetics at the University of Manchester. The primary aim of his research is the development of powerful statistical methods for the analysis of genome-wide association and sequencing studies, and their implementation in user-friendly software…

Nora Franceschini

Project Collaborators

Location

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bio

Nora Franceschini is a nephrology-trained physician and a cardiovascular disease epidemiologist. Her research focuses on environmental and genetic determinants of hypertension, kidney and cardiovascular diseases in diverse and underrepresented U.S. minority populations who carry a high burden of chronic health…

Cassianne Robinson-Cohen

Project Collaborators

Location

Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Bio

Cassianne Robinson-Cohen, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension within the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre. Her empirical work has been in the areas of cardiovascular, clinical, and genetic epidemiology.…

Anna Köttgen

Project Collaborators

Location

Institute of Genetic Epidemiology University Medical Center Freiburg

Bio

Dr Anna Köttgen is a genetic epidemiologist with a focus on renal and metabolic diseases. She earned her medical degree from the University of Freiburg and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. As Director of the Institute…

Eleftheria Zeggini

Project Collaborators

Location

Institute of Translational Genomics in Helmholtz Zentrum München

Bio

Prof. Eleftheria Zeggini is the founding director of the Institute of Translational Genomics at Helmholtz Munich, where she advances research in human health and disease using high-throughput sequencing and computational tools. Her work integrates genomics, multi-omics data, and epidemiology to…

Cristian Pattaro

Project Collaborators

Location

Eurac Research

Bio

Dr Cristian Pattaro is a researcher in biostatistics and genetic epidemiology. He has a Master's in Statistics from the University of Padova and a PhD in Biomedical Statistics from the University of Milano, he leads the Biostatistics and Epidemiology Group…

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KidneyGenAfrica in the news

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KidneyGenAfrica Official Launch at AfSHG 2025 in Uganda

KidneyGenAfrica Official Launch at AfSHG 2025 in Uganda

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