Dr Daniel Minja

Principal Biomedical Researcher

Co-Investigator: Main Trial (Tanzania), Molecular Markers and Drug Resistance

I have been working as a Principal Biomedical Researcher with the National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania for over a decade. NIMR has the mandate to oversee, coordinate and conduct Biomedical Research in Tanzania. I received my BSc Biological Sciences at the University of Dar Es Salam, Tanzania and afterwards MSc Molecular Biology at Vrije University Brussel, Belgium and PhD on Molecular Epidemiology of Malaria at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. My short and medium term plans are to solicit funds for conducting Biomedical Research in priority Infectious and Non-communicable Diseases as well as Emerging Pathogens of public health interest according to the Tanzania Development Vision 2025 with keen focus on those mainly affecting the maternal and paediatric population.

I have vast experience in conducting longitudinal cohort studies on infectious and non-infectious diseases as well as performing various assays including luminex multiplex, parasite genotyping for identification of markers of drug resistance, flow cytometry, transcriptional analyses as well as binding inhibition assays. While working with NIMR I have had the opportunity to work within different collaborative research networks with partners from Europe and from within Africa where I gained massive experience through discussion fora and frequent visits to different laboratories in Europe and within Africa.

My keen interest has always been on the immunology of placental malaria, molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial drug resistance development and malaria vaccines development, all aimed at improving maternal and child health. I have over 20 scientific publications in peer reviewed journals.