Miss Chengetai Mpamhanga

I am a PhD Research Student in Microbiology at The Open University with an academic background in microbiology and epidemiology and several years of combined experience across academic research, clinical research laboratories, and diagnostic services in both the UK and Africa, as reflected in my publication record (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6897-259X).

My research project is focused on infection prevention and repositionable treatment strategies for the recently emerged fungus, Candidozyma auris (C. auris). This work sits at the intersection of medical microbiology, public health, and epidemiology, with a focus on translating laboratory science into real-world health impact. I have hands-on expertise in clinical diagnostics, phenotypic drug screening for drug repositioning, molecular microbiology, immunology and disease surveillance, and I thrive in multidisciplinary, global research environments.

Relevant Publications:

New Generation Modified Azole Antifungals against Multidrug-Resistant Candida auris - PubMed

The rise of antifungal resistance and limited treatment options highlight the urgent need for new drug classes. Candida auris is a serious global health threat with few effective therapies. In this study, novel azole-based compounds were developed by modifying the azole core with cyclic heteroaliphatic linkers connecting aromatic and heteroaromatic rings. Several compounds showed potent activity against C. auris, including azole-resistant strains, with MICs ranging from 0.016 to 4 μg/mL.

The utility of Drosophila melanogaster as a fungal infection model - PubMed

Invasive fungal diseases have profound effects upon human health and are on increase globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022 published the fungal priority list calling for improved public health interventions and advance research. Drosophila melanogaster presents an excellent model system to dissect host-pathogen interactions and has been proved valuable to study immunopathogenesis of fungal diseases. In this review we highlight the recent advances in fungal-Drosophila interplay with an emphasis on the recently published WHO's fungal priority list and we focus on available tools and technologies.

Selected publications:

Swatting Flies: Biting Insects as Non-Invasive Samplers for Mammalian Population Genomics

Bivalent prefusion F vaccination in pregnancy and respiratory syncytial virus hospitalisation in infants in the UK: results of a multicentre, test-negative, case-control study

Clinical Impact of Serious Respiratory Disease in Children Under the Age of 2 Years During the 2021–2022 Bronchiolitis Season in England, Scotland, and Ireland

Presentation and outcome of suspected sepsis in a high-HIV burden, high antiretroviral coverage setting.