I am a PhD student at the Disease vector group at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). My passion is in infectious disease control and currently, my research focuses on understanding the phenotypic and genetic dynamics behind the enhancement of blood phagostimulation in malaria and dengue fever vectors. Ultimately, I am aiming at developing a novel control-drive system for the delivery of vector control agents. I have a background in laboratory medicine and infection biology. Previously, I have been engaged in medical research particularly on malaria control i.e. the pathogen (diagnostics and antimalarial drug resistance) and its vector; (ecology, insecticide resistance and entomopathogenic biological control).
Visiting Scholar: National Institutes of Health-(NIH/USA): Image analysis and machine learning for detecting malaria (Jul-Sept, 2019).
MSc. Medical Science/Infection biology: Uppsala University, Sweden (Jun, 2019).
Thesis: Determining heteroresistance breakpoints for Escherichia coli-associated bacteraemia and the genetic mechanism of piperacillin-tazobactam antibiotic resistance.
Minor project: Viral metagenomics analysis of Brazilian ticks - viral discovery and genomic characterization.
MSc. Zoology/Entomology: Makerere University-Uganda (Jan, 2016).
Thesis: Isolation and molecular characterisation of Gram-positive entomoathogenic bacteria against the major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae in Uganda.
BSc. Medical Laboratory Science: Mbarara University of Science and Technology-Uganda (Jan, 2009).
Dissertation: Prevalence of bacterial pathogens and their antibiotic sensitivity patterns in patients presenting with dysuria in Mbarara Regional Teaching Hospital-Urology clinic.
Sserwadda, I., Lukenge, M., Mwambi B., Mboowa, G. Walusimbi, A., Segujja, F., (2018). Microbial contaminants isolated from items and work surfaces in the post-operative ward at Kawolo general hospital, Uganda. BMC Infectious Diseases, 18:68. doi: 10.1186/s12879-018-2980-5
Blomström AL, Luz HR, Öhlund P, Lukenge M, Brandão PE, Labruna MB, Berg M. (2020) Novel viruses found in Antricola ticks collected in bat caves in the western Amazonia of Brazil. Viruses, 12(1), 48. doi: 10.3390/v12010048..
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5287-8494