Breaking Barriers: Solutions for Diagnosing Central Nervous System (CNS) and Bloodstream Infections in Resource-Limited Settings

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the clinical management and surveillance of central nervous system (CNS) and bloodstream infections are hindered by the lack of access to timely and accurate diagnostics suitable for resource-limited settings. Bottlenecks in laboratory confirmation, from specimen collection to processing, further exacerbate these challenges. While many of these challenges appear basic, innovative solutions are required to overcome them. Dr. Kwambana-Adams’ lecture will cover practical solutions that her group and others are developing to enhance the laboratory diagnosis of CNS and bloodstream infections in LMICs.

Brenda Anna Kwambana-Adams is a Wellcome International Intermediate Fellow and Senior Lecturer (Academic Career Track) at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme (MLW). Brenda is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow within the Division of Infection and Immunity at University College London (UCL).  Within MLW, Brenda co-leads the Vaccines Theme and heads the Pneumonia and Meningitis Pathogens Associate Research Group.

Her research focuses on characterizing the mechanisms influencing the transmission of respiratory pathogens using advanced 'omics' techniques, aiming to inform the development of more effective control strategies. Through her Wellcome Fellowship, Brenda is conducting an innovative vaccine-probe study to explore the role of under-fives in the transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae within households.

In parallel, Brenda is developing tools for early, rapid, and accurate diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) and bloodstream infections, which could significantly enhance case identification in resource-limited settings. She collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Regional Reference Laboratories to support surveillance of acute bacterial meningitis across Africa. Brenda's contributions extend to shaping global health policy. She contributed to developing the WHO guidelines for controlling pneumococcal outbreaks in the African 'meningitis belt' and the WHO Defeating Meningitis 2030 Global Roadmap. Brenda has won numerous awards including the prestigious MRC-LSHTM West Africa Global Health Research Fellowship.

University members only.