Biography

I was born and raised in The Gambia and completed my undergraduate studies in Biological Sciences (Genetics, Cell & Developmental Biology) at Arizona State University. While in The Gambia, I worked in a research lab and it was here that I developed an interest in biomedical research. Most recently, studying public health has made me understand the magnitude of the threat that infectious diseases possess to human health and wellbeing, but tackling these diseases requires an in-depth understanding of the diseases both at the cellular and molecular levels to help inform public health approaches to controlling and eradicating them. At Cambridge, I will be investigating the molecular mechanisms by which rare variants of the human glycophorin protein (transmembrane protein in human red blood cells) provide protection against malaria using biochemical and microscopy approaches. Increasing our understanding of these mechanisms can help us develop new therapies to protect people against malaria- a leading cause of child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. My future goal is to be a part of the global effort to understand and eradicate malaria and other infectious diseases that are affecting millions of people around the world.

Previous Education

University of British Columbia Public Health 2020
Arizona State University Biological Sciences 2018