John Waitumbi
Director, Kisumu Field Station, US Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa/Kenya (USAMRD-Africa/Kenya)
Dr. Waitumbi was born in rural Kenya. He earned his Bachelor’s from Nairobi University in 1981, an MS in Epidemiology from Glasgow Vet School (1985), a Ph.D. from Nairobi University (1992), and thereafter did his postdoctoral training at Bordeaux University, France, and Hebrew University, Israel.
Dr. Waitumbi has been associated with USAMRD-Africa operations for the last 40 years. First, in 1979/80, as a young veterinary student intern at Kenya Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories in Kabete, Nairobi, where the then Walter Reed Project (WRP) was nested. Then, from 1981 to 1985, as a young research officer at Kenya Trypanosomiasis Research Institute (KETRI), where WRP had moved to expand its research in sleeping sickness. Dr. Bruce Wellde, who headed the sleeping sickness project, was his mentor. Dr. Waitumbi was honored to be the first recipient of the Bruce Wellde’s Scholarship Award in recognition of his studies in the pathogenesis of malarial anemia in 2002.
Dr. Waitumbi joined USAMRD-Africa/Kenya as a senior NRC fellow (1998-2001) and conducted research to answer the question of why some children develop anemia and others cerebral malaria upon contracting malaria. On completion of the NRC fellowship, Dr. Waitumbi took full-time employment at USAMRD-Africa/Kenya as a senior LES scientist and assisted in conducting malaria drug and vaccine human trials, surveillance for pathogens associated with fevers of unknown origin, development/evaluations of diagnostics and serving as a mentor for local and overseas students whom he hosts in his Lab. Dr. Waitumbi is the custodian of a well-maintained biobank of thousands of specimens (whole blood, sera, and nasal swabs) from febrile illness cohorts, severe malarial anemia, and malaria vaccine and drug studies. He is the recognized contributor to two provisional patents: 1) Magnetic methods of clearing malaria parasites in transfused blood and 2) Magnetic methods of inhibiting transmissibility of malaria parasites in mosquitoes.
Dr. Waitumbi is an accomplished scientist in his field. He has authored over 80 peer-reviewed articles, often reviews manuscripts submitted by his peers, and sometimes serves as a guest editor for scientific journals. He has been very successful in securing competitive funding. His annual funding stream is close to $2.5 million. He is currently the Director of the Kisumu Field Station, US Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa/Kenya. He is also the Basic Science Research Director. Dr. Waitumbi has received seven academic honors and recognitions, among them, the Golder Meir scholarship at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Israel, Senior National Research Council fellow at the US Army Medical Research Unit-Kenya and the Bruce Wellde’s Scholarship Award in recognition of his studies in pathogenesis of malarial anemia. He is an Honorary Member of the United States Army Medical Department Regiment.
Dr. Waitumbi is married to Judy Waitumbi, and they have two children: Richard and Kui. He enjoys playing Frisbee.