Dr Anselme Shyaka

Profile

I joined the University of Leeds in July 2017 as a postdoctoral researcher in Parasitology with Dr. Rupert Quinnell, focusing on the study of epidemiology and control of the pig tapeworm, Taenia solium (T. solium) in Rwanda.

My PhD was carried out in the Research Centre for Animal Hygiene and Food Safety, within the laboratory of food microbiology and Immunology at Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan from 2012-2015.

Research interests

My research interests lie in parasitology, bacteriology and comparative genomics of pathogenic microorganisms to understanding evolutionary adaptations of host-pathogen interaction.

I am currently working on a research that aim to understand the epidemiology and control of Taenia solium, which in case of infection of the central nervous system with cysticerci, the larval stages of T. solium, leads to a condition known as neurocysticercosis (NCC), a major cause of acquired epilepsy worldwide. The intended outcomes are: to produce value chain maps for pigs and pig products at a national scale in Rwanda; to estimate the prevalence of infection in humans, pigs and in pork entering the food chain in the whole country and to define the risk factors for infection in humans and pigs. These results will be used to develop a national control strategy against cysticercosis.

My previous researches include:

• Investigations into the virulence factors, molecular epidemiology of and comparative genomics of Campylobacter jejuni isolates from wild birds (My PhD research).
• Epidemiology of Rift Valley fever in Rwanda (Funded through Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency program)  
• Assessment of the protective potential of the EA1 a surface protein of Bacillus anthracis against a lethal challenge of Bacillus spores (Research Fellowship, OUAVM, Japan)
• Milk Production Practices, Udder Health and Their Impact on Milk Quality, Safety and Processability in Rwanda (Funded through, University of Florida, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems)

Qualifications

• PhD
• DVM

Professional memberships

• American Society of Microbiology