Molecular and Computational Cell Biology
Fernande A. Mbamba Magra
Dr. Fernande Amandine Mbamba Magra is a Molecular Cell Biologist and translational scientist working at the interface of infectious disease biology, molecular cell biology, genomics, and computational science. She is the Group Leader of the Molecular and Computational Cell Biology (MUTATE) Research Group at TREND Foundation, where she leads interdisciplinary research into the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms underpinning pathogen adaptation, host–pathogen interactions, and disease transmission dynamics. Her scientific vision is driven by the conviction that meaningful research must connect fundamental biological discovery to translational and public health impact. By integrating molecular biology, high-throughput sequencing, computational modelling, and systems-level analysis, her programme generates knowledge that informs surveillance frameworks, therapeutic innovation, and evidence-based disease control with a deliberate focus on infectious diseases disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations across Africa.
Dr. Mbamba Magra holds a PhD in Molecular Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases from the University of Ghana, where her doctoral work advanced the understanding of African trypanosomiasis, host iron homeostasis, and parasite biology. Her technical expertise spans molecular and biochemical assays, parasite and cell culture systems, field epidemiology, microbiome profiling, and transcriptomic data analysis, further deepened through collaborative research training at Imperial College London. Equally committed to people as to science, she has supervised postgraduate students, coordinated laboratory operations, delivered scientific capacity-building training, and championed interdisciplinary collaboration across diverse research environments. Her leadership is grounded in scientific rigour, intellectual curiosity, and the firm belief that sustainable research progress in Africa demands both world-class science and intentional investment in the scientists who will carry it forward.
Her achievements have been recognised through competitive international awards, including the WACCBIP/World Bank Postgraduate Fellowship, the OWSD Fellowship, and a TWAS Award. Through her scientific leadership, Dr. Mbamba Magra aspires to contribute to the growth of innovative, collaborative, and globally connected African research ecosystems equipped to tackle complex biomedical and public health challenges.
Background
In a rapidly changing world shaped by emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, climate-driven ecological shifts, and increasing global connectivity, understanding how pathogens evolve and interact with their hosts is a scientific and public health priority. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving infectious disease dynamics, particularly within African populations and ecosystems. MUTATE was created to address these challenges by advancing high-impact research that combines biological discovery with computational innovation. MUTATE Research Group is an interdisciplinary research entity of the Translational Research and Development Foundation (TREND Foundation) established to decode the molecular and computational principles that govern pathogen evolution, host adaptation, and disease emergence, and to translate these discoveries into innovative solutions for human health. The Research Group operates at the intersection of molecular and cell biology, genomics, evolutionary biology, bioinformatics, computational modelling, artificial intelligence, and translational science. Through the integration of experimental approaches and data-driven methodologies, MUTATE investigates the mechanisms underlying pathogen emergence, adaptation, persistence, and host-pathogen interactions across diverse ecological and epidemiological settings. By applying a systems-level perspective, the Research Group seeks to move beyond disease description towards predictive understanding-generating knowledge that informs genomic surveillance, precision diagnostics, therapeutic discovery, and evidence-based public health interventions. Our work is driven by the belief that transformative health solutions emerge from a deep understanding of biological complexity. Beyond scientific discovery, MUTATE serves as a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and capacity development. The Research Group is committed to nurturing the next generation of African scientists by providing advanced training in molecular biosciences, computational biology, data science, and translational research while fostering partnerships with regional and international research communities. Through scientific excellence, innovation, and collaboration, MUTATE aims to position Africa as a leading contributor to global biomedical discovery-advancing knowledge, developing solutions, and building the expertise required to address current and future health challenges
Research Goals
MUTATE Research Group aspires to become a globally recognised centre of excellence in molecular and computational biosciences, advancing a predictive understanding of infectious diseases and complex biological systems through innovative, interdisciplinary research. By integrating molecular biology, genomics, structural biology, bioinformatics, computational science, artificial intelligence, and systems biology, MUTATE Research Group seeks to uncover the fundamental mechanisms that drive pathogen evolution, adaptation, persistence, and host–pathogen interactions. Through the convergence of experimental discovery, advanced computational approaches, and collaborative scientific innovation, the group aims to transform biological insights into predictive models, enabling technologies, and evidence-based solutions that strengthen disease surveillance, diagnostics, therapeutics, and public health decision-making. Beyond generating transformative knowledge, MUTATE Research Group is committed to fostering a new era of biomedical research leadership in Africa by building sustainable scientific capacity, nurturing the next generation of interdisciplinary researchers, and establishing globally connected platforms for discovery, innovation, and translational impact.
MUTATE Research Group is organised around four (04) interconnected Research Axes that collectively address fundamental questions in infectious disease biology and translate molecular discoveries into actionable solutions for public health. At the core of MUTATE Research Group’s philosophy is the recognition that infectious diseases emerge from dynamic interactions between pathogens, hosts, and their environments. By integrating molecular experimentation, genomics, computational biology, artificial intelligence, and systems-level approaches, the group seeks to uncover the biological principles that govern pathogen evolution, adaptation, transmission, and disease outcomes.
Research Axis #1 - Molecular and cellular mechanisms of pathogen adaptation
Core scientific question: how do pathogens adapt at molecular and cellular levels to survive, persist, and evolve under biological, therapeutic, and environmental pressures?
This Research Axis investigates the molecular and cellular processes that determine pathogen fitness, survival, persistence, and adaptive capacity. Research focuses on regulatory networks, cellular plasticity, metabolic reprogramming, structural dynamics, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and pathways underlying therapeutic escape. By elucidating how pathogens respond to selective pressures, this research aims to reveal vulnerabilities that can inform the development of innovative control strategies.
Research Axis #2 - Host-Pathogen interactions and tissue-level dynamics
Core scientific question: how do pathogens engage with host cells and tissues to establish infection, evade host defences, and influence disease progression?
This Research Axis explores the complex molecular interactions that define infection biology, including mechanisms of host invasion, immune modulation, cellular signalling, tissue tropism, and pathogen dissemination. Through integrated experimental and computational approaches, MUTATE Research Group investigates how pathogen and host factors interact across biological scales to determine infection outcomes and identify targets for therapeutic and preventive interventions.
Research Axis #3 - Surveillance, One Health, and translational modelling
Core scientific question: how can integrated biological, environmental, and computational intelligence strengthen pathogen surveillance, prediction, and public health preparedness?
This Research Axis applies a One Health framework to integrate genomic, epidemiological, ecological, and spatial data for improved understanding of infectious disease dynamics. By developing computational models and analytical frameworks, research under this axis aims to enhance early detection, outbreak prediction, risk assessment, and evidence-based decision-making for infectious disease prevention and control.
Research Axis #4 - Population dynamics, ecology, and sustainable management of coastal and marine habitats and resources
Core scientific question: how do genomic variation and evolutionary processes shape pathogen diversity, emergence, transmission, and adaptation?
This Research Axis investigates the evolutionary forces shaping infectious disease landscapes through comparative genomics, population genetics, phylogenomics, and systems biology approaches. Research focuses on pathogen diversification, emergence of novel variants, transmission dynamics, evolutionary trajectories, and genomic determinants associated with virulence, host adaptation, therapeutic response, and public health risk.
Dr. Fernande A. Mbamba Magra
Prof. Theresa Manful Gwira
Head of the Department, University of Ghana. Field epidemiology and host–parasite biology; contributing expertise in large-scale livestock surveys, project supervision, and capacity building for molecular diagnostics and data interpretation.
Prof. Dr. Susanne Kramer
Universität Würzburg. RNA biology and post-transcriptional regulation in trypanosomes; collaborating to link gene expression dynamics with parasite adaptation and drug resistance.
Dr. Isawumi Abiola
Research Fellow, WACCBIP. Antimicrobial resistance and One Health surveillance; co-developing diagnostics and data tools to track resistance across pathogens and environments.
Dr. Constance Agbemelo-Tsomafo
Research Fellow, Quality manager/Internal auditor Department of Animal Experimentation Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana.
West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP).
Provides institutional support spanning field epidemiology, molecular diagnostics, and postgraduate training. WACCBIP contributes shared laboratory infrastructure, joint workshop facilitation, and MSc/PhD student recruitment to collaborative projects, including SMART Livestock surveillance and integrated resistance monitoring across West Africa.
University of Würzburg (Kramer Lab)
Contributes specialised expertise in RNA biology, mRNA export, and post-transcriptional gene regulation in trypanosomes. This partnership enriches MUTATE’s transcriptomic analyses of parasite adaptation and accelerates the identification of RNA-level regulatory mechanisms as candidate therapeutic targets.
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR)
Provides access to compliant animal experimentation infrastructure and regulated pre-clinical capacity for in vivo validation of parasite adaptation mechanisms. NMIMR’s ethical oversight framework (UG-IACUC) and quality management systems ensure full compliance with international funder standards, bridging MUTATE’s molecular findings to translational impact.
Dr. Fernande A. Mbamba Magra
Group Leader
mbambamagra@trendfoundation.org
Dr. Maxime D. Mbogning Fonkou
Deputy Group Leader
mbogningfokou@trendfoundation.org