Links to professional profile:
Linked in address; https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-maranga
Twitter handle; @gathoni_maranga
Mary Maranga
I am a graduate teaching assistant at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya. My current work is centered on antimalarial drug resistance. The primary focus is on the use of genomics approach to identify drug resistance-associated mutations in Plasmodium falciparum genetic lineages. I am also interested in understanding the human genetic factors that place a person at risk of developing severe malaria. My vision for the future of agriculture in Africa is improved food security through research e.g. developing high yielding and disease resistant crops.
Bioinformatics will greatly equip researchers with skills and knowledge to address some of the continent’s most debilitating challenges, such as food sustainability, pests and diseases. The Bioinformatics Community of Practice programme will be impactful in my career progression. It will equip me with skills required to explore, analyze, interpret and draw conclusions of my data. With these newly acquired skills, I can contribute more to the research carried out in my institute. I will also pass this knowledge to other students and colleagues, thus improving the research output.