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Dr Sophie Uyoga

Dr Sophie Uyoga

Contact information

Email
SUyoga@kemri-wellcome.org

Educating communities on sickle cell disease

Sophie Uyoga tells us how she hopes to produce information materials to create awareness about sickle cell disease among communities living on the Kenyan coast.

Sophie Uyoga

Research scientist

Sophie trained as a biochemist in Kenya then specialized in Immunology and later obtained a PhD from the University of Heidelberg. Sophie has great interest in understanding how human genetics influences susceptibility to severe malaria. Her work focuses on red blood cell genetic polymorphisms namely hemoglobin S, alpha thalassemia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and blood group antigens and also explores the effect of co-inheritance on protection afforded against severe malaria and other infectious diseases.

A Mid-Career research fellowship awarded by the Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders (IDeAL) has enabled Sophie to pursue another area of interest. She will be investigating the mechanisms behind the development and treatment of severe anemia with focus on the quality of donor blood on recovery from severe anemia and survival post-transfusion. She envisions that the study findings will inform future strategies to ensure efficient provision of services by blood transfusion services and policy makers in Africa.

Read more on Sophie's work to reduce sickle cell stigma in Africa (The Lancet Haematology, published November 2020).

Recent publications

Intravenous Artesunate in Artemisinin-Resistant Severe Malaria in Uganda.

Maitland K. et al, (2026), N Engl J Med

The effect of heterozygous β-thalassaemia on childhood health and survival in Kilifi, Kenya

Macharia AW. et al, (2026)

Assessing the Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Mutations on Antibody Binding: A Comparative Assessment of the Wuhan and JN.1 Variants' Full-Length Spikes in a Multiplex Luminex Assay.

Waweru G. et al, (2025), Viruses, 17

Hydroxyurea - Pragmatic Reduction In Mortality and Economic burden (H-PRIME): A 2x2x2 factorial randomised open-label trial investigating practical approaches to the treatment of sickle cell disease at four sites in Eastern Uganda

Olupot-Olupot P. et al, (2025), Wellcome Open Research, 10, 244 - 244

Clinicians in low- and middle-income settings need better access to point-of-care haemoglobin tests for identifying and managing children and pregnant women with severe anaemia.

South A. et al, (2025), Trop Med Int Health, 30, 231 - 234

More publications