Lucas Amenga–Etego
A5067928767- Malaria Research and Control
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Computational Drug Discovery Methods
- Parasites and Host Interactions
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Hemoglobinopathies and Related Disorders
- Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Research on Leishmaniasis Studies
- Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Vibrio bacteria research studies
- Complement system in diseases
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics
- Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms
- Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical Research
University of Ghana
2018-2025
Mali-Folkecenter
2025
Navrongo Health Research Centre
2014-2023
Ghana Health Service
2012-2022
University of Oxford
2012-2016
Centre for Human Genetics
2012-2016
Medical Research Council
2013-2015
Genomics (United Kingdom)
2012-2015
University for Development Studies
2008
Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum K13-propeller domain have recently been shown to be important determinants of artemisinin resistance Southeast Asia. This study investigated prevalence polymorphisms across sub-Saharan Africa. A total 1212 P. samples collected from 12 countries were sequenced. None mutations previously reported Asia found, but 22 unique detected, which 7 nonsynonymous. Allele frequencies ranged between 1% and 3%. Three observed >1 country, A578S was present parasites 5...
Elucidation of the evolutionary history and interrelatedness Plasmodium species that infect humans has been hampered by a lack genetic information for three human-infective species: P. malariae two ovale (P. o. curtisi wallikeri). These are prevalent across most regions in which malaria is endemic often undetectable light microscopy, rendering their study human populations difficult. The exact relationship these to other contested. Using new reference genome manually curated draft genome, we...
Abstract The human genetic factors that affect resistance to infectious disease are poorly understood. Here we report a genome-wide association study in 17,000 severe malaria cases and population controls from 11 countries, informed by sequencing of family trios direct typing candidate loci an additional 15,000 samples. We identify five replicable associations with levels evidence including newly implicated variant on chromosome 6. Jointly, these variants account for around one-tenth the...
MalariaGEN is a data-sharing network that enables groups around the world to work together on genomic epidemiology of malaria. Here we describe new release curated genome variation data 7,000 Plasmodium falciparum samples from partner studies in 28 malaria-endemic countries. High-quality genotype calls 3 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and short indels were produced using standardised analysis pipeline. Copy number variants associated with drug resistance structural cause...
<ns3:p>We describe the MalariaGEN Pf7 data resource, seventh release of <ns3:italic>Plasmodium falciparum</ns3:italic> genome variation from network. It comprises over 20,000 samples 82 partner studies in 33 countries, including several malaria endemic regions that were previously underrepresented. For first time we include dried blood spot sequenced after selective whole amplification, necessitating new methods to genotype copy number variations. We identify a large newly emerging...
Similarity between two individuals in the combination of genetic markers along their chromosomes indicates shared ancestry and can be used to identify historical connections different population groups due admixture. We use a genome-wide, haplotype-based, analysis characterise structure diversity gene-flow collection 48 sub-Saharan African groups. show that coastal populations experienced an influx Eurasian haplotypes over last 7000 years, Eastern Southern Niger-Congo speaking share with...
Africa is experiencing a rapid increase in adult obesity and associated cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs). The H3Africa AWI-Gen Collaborative Centre was established to examine genomic environmental factors that influence body composition, fat distribution CMD risk, with the aim provide insights towards effective treatment intervention strategies. It provides research platform of over 10 500 participants, 40-60 years old, from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya South Africa. Following process involved...
Translating genomic technologies into healthcare applications for the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has been limited by technical and logistical difficulties of obtaining high quality clinical samples from field. Sampling dried blood spot (DBS) finger-pricks can be performed safely efficiently with minimal resource storage requirements compared venous (VB). Here, use selective whole genome amplification (sWGA) to sequence P. DBS was evaluated, results current methods that...
Ebb and flow of parasite populations The population genetics the malaria Plasmodium falciparum across Africa is poorly understood but important to know for grasping risks dynamics spread drug resistance. Harnessing power genomics, Amambua-Ngwa et al. Diversity Network found substantial structure within that consistent with human vector divergence (see Perspective by Sibley). Specific signatures selection antimalarial drugs were detected, along indications effect colonization slavery....
There is an alarming tide of cardiovascular and metabolic disease (CMD) sweeping across Africa. This may be a result increasingly urbanized lifestyle characterized by the growing consumption processed calorie-dense food, combined with physical inactivity more sedentary behaviour. While link between public health has been extensively studied in Caucasian African American populations, few studies have conducted paper describes detailed methods for Phase 1 AWI-Gen study that were used to...
Seeking consent for genetic and genomic research can be challenging, particularly in populations with low literacy levels, emergency situations. All of these factors were relevant to the MalariaGEN study influencing immune responses malaria northern rural Ghana. This sought identify issues arising practice during enrollment paediatric cases severe matched healthy controls into study.The used a rapid assessment incorporating multiple qualitative methods including depth interviews, focus group...
Human genetic factors are important determinants of malaria risk. We investigated associations between multiple candidate polymorphisms-many related to the structure or function red blood cells-and risk for severe Plasmodium falciparum and its specific phenotypes, including cerebral malaria, anaemia, respiratory distress.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is believed to confer protection against Plasmodium falciparum malaria, but the precise nature of protective effect has proved difficult define as G6PD multiple allelic variants with different effects in males and females, it heterogeneous on clinical outcome P. infection. Here we report an analysis forms a large multi-centre case-control study severe using WHO classification mutations estimate each individual’s level enzyme activity from...
Malaria remains a major global health burden, killing hundreds of thousands annually, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2019, Phase IV Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)-linked malaria vaccine implementation was underway. However, December novel pneumonia condition termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with many clinical, epidemiological, and biological parallels to malaria, reported Wuhan, China. COVID-19 is...
<ns3:p>MalariaGEN is a data-sharing network that enables groups around the world to work together on genomic epidemiology of malaria. Here we describe new release curated genome variation data 7,000 <ns3:italic>Plasmodium falciparum</ns3:italic> samples from MalariaGEN partner studies in 28 malaria-endemic countries. High-quality genotype calls 3 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and short indels were produced using standardised analysis pipeline. Copy number variants associated...
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the fastest evolving pandemics in recent history. As such, SARS-CoV-2 viral evolution needs to be continuously tracked. This study sequenced 1123 genomes from patient isolates (121 arriving travellers and 1002 communities) track molecular spatio-temporal dynamics variants Ghana. data show that initial local transmission was dominated by B.1.1 lineage, but second wave overwhelmingly driven Alpha variant. Subsequently, an unheralded variant under...
Malaria results in over 600,000 deaths annually, with the highest burden of young children living sub-Saharan Africa. Molecular surveillance can provide important information for malaria control policies, including detection antimalarial drug resistance. However, genome sequencing capacity malaria-endemic countries is limited. We designed and implemented an end-to-end workflow to detect Plasmodium falciparum resistance markers diversity vaccine target circumsporozoite protein (csp) using...
The SARS-CoV-2 genome occupies a unique place in infection biology - it is the most highly sequenced on earth (making up over 20% of public sequencing datasets) with fine scale information sampling date and geography, has been subject to unprecedented intense analysis. As result, these phylogenetic data are an incredibly valuable resource for science health. However, vast majority was by tiling amplicons across full genome, amplicon schemes that changed pandemic as mutations viral interacted...
Evidence on the impact of using diagnostic tests in community case management febrile children is limited. This effectiveness trial conducted Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Uganda, compared a treatment package for malaria pneumonia with presumptive anti-malarial drugs; artemisinin combination therapy (ACT). We enrolled 4,216 between 4 59 months age 2009-2010. Compliance rapid test (RDT) results was high intervention arm across three countries, only 4.9% (17 344) RDT-negative prescribed an ACT....
The African continent continues to bear the greatest burden of malaria and diversity parasites, mosquito vectors, human victims. evolutionary plasticity parasites their vectors is a major obstacle eliminating disease. Of current concern recently reported emergence resistance front-line drug, artemisinin, in South-East Asia Plasmodium falciparum, which calls for preemptive surveillance parasite population genetic markers emerging drug resistance. Here we describe Diversity Network Africa...