Name: Michael Ouma Opiyo
Date of Birth: 20th May 1971
Place of Birth: KISUMU
Sex: Male
National ID No.: 10843394
Nationality: Kenyan
Languages: English, Kiswahili and Dholuo
Marital Status: Married
Permanent Address: P. O. Box 162, AHERO, KENYA
Contact Address: USAMRU-K (WRP) KEMRI, P. O. Box 54, KISUMU, KENYA
Telephone (Office): +254-02 729303 (Nairobi) +254 –035 22942 (Kisumu)
Cellular phone: +254-0733 778164
Facsimile: +254-02 714592 (Nairobi)/ +254-035 22903 (Kisumu)
E-mail (Primary):
E-mail (Alternative): , ,
Present employer: USAMRU-K (WRP) KEMRI
Position: Medical/Research Technologist and Supervisor (Tissue Culture Laboratory)
Educational Background
September 2000 – December 2001: The Kenya Polytechnic, Higher Diploma in Medical Laboratory Sciences, Option III (Immunology, Clinical Chemistry and Hematology & Blood Transfusion as majors).
Other Subjects studied: Biochemistry, Separation Techniques, Medical Statistics, Medical Epidemeology, Management, Accounts principles, Computer Science, Human Physioogy & Anatomy and Project-writing methOD.
Submission: Research Project entitled: Cytoadherence as an immune marker
for disease severity in malaria.
1998, Dec. 7th – 12th: Training by participating in the Training Workshop on The Current Trends on Immunodiagnostics of Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, held at The Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
1990 – 1993: The Mombasa Polytechnic, Diploma in Applied Sciences (Medical Laboratory Technology). Pioneer in the 8-4-4 Diploma. Subjects studied: Medical Microbiology, Parasitology, Hematology and Immunohematology, Histology and Histopathology, Chemical Pathology, Immunology, Laboratory practice and Management, Trade (Course) Project and Entrepreneurship project. Obtained Credit.
1986 – 1989: Awasi Mixed Secondary School. Pioneer in the 8-4-4-education system. Obtained KCSE mean grade of C+ (plus).
1978 – 1985: Holo-Orucho Primary School. Pioneer in the 8-4-4-education system. Obtained KCPE 46 points.
Career
Goals
Short Term: Confident perfection in laboratory techniques in all applications, thereby contributing to solutions to various scientific problems.
Long Term: A perfect reliable scientist with dynamism in his field of profession.
To become a professor.
Working Experience
August 1991: Industrial attachment with St. Joseph’s Hospital Nyabondo. Gained experience on the basic clinical laboratory procedures.
January to April 1992: Further industrial attachment with The Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu. Gained more experience and practice of clinical and medical laboratory procedures, the basics and the advanced.
1993 – 1995: Corner Mtongwe Medical Center, In-Charge of the laboratory department. Performed and managed various clinical diagnoses. Other roles included ordering for items, stocking, offering practical experience to and supervising Medical Laboratory Technology students; and coordinating duties and activities with the rest of the hospital.
1995: Pandya Memorial Hospital, Mombasa, Jamii Medicare Center, Mombasa; performed various laboratory methods on part-time basis.
1995 December to Date: United States Medical Research Unit – Kenya (Walter Reed Project) and Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu – Kisian field station. Performing various research techniques in Immunology and Parasitology towards the development of a malaria vaccine and understanding the malaria pathology, improving and evaluating new malaria drugs and carrying out clinical diseases diagnosis on volunteering patients recruited in the research studies.
Among the studies in which I have been involved include malaria parasites cultures, malaria parasite protein purifications, ELISA and ELISpot studieson various malaria proteins and drug responses in patients, P. falciparum cytoadherance investigations, including purification of cytoadherance ligands from cells, Malaria drug sensitivity studies to determine the resistivity rates among different isolates from various parts of Kenya using a panel of the most commonly used anti-malarial drugs, and many other studies relating to malaria research by Walter Reed Project.
Computer literacy is high. Able to manage data entry and analysis. Well conversant with many packages including Windows (from the older versions to 95, 97, 98 and 2000), MSDOS, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Harvard Graphics, Paint Brush, MS Access, Data Analysis packages including SPSS 7 to 10, MS Excel analysis tools, and similar packages in Macintosh OS. Generally, I am comfortable with any operations using any computers. Internet proficiency and e-mail systems knowledge is high.
Achievements
and Excellence
Achievements:
Held several leadership posts in class and school during primary and secondary school education.
Departmental representation in soccer and athletics during my diploma college education.
February 18th – 20th 1997: Attended a seminar on The Changing Patterns of Communicable Diseases, organized by the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
February 18th – 20th 1997: Attended the 15th Annual Joint Scientific Conference and Seminar on Changing Patterns of Communicable Diseases in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Presented a scientific paper.
May 1999: Discovered a biotechnique for decontamination of malaria cultures from yeast contamination (see abstracts and scientific papers section). This work is to be published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
November 10th – 12th 1999: Attended the 10th Annual Conference of the Association of Kenya Laboratory Scientific Officers, Sunset Hotel, Kisumu, Kenya. Presented a scientific paper.
November 28th – December 2nd 1999: Attended the 48th Annual Conference of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Hilton Hotel, Washington Towers, Washington DC, USA. Presented a scientific paper.
Presentations at International Scientific Meetings
February 18th – 20th 1997. The 15th Annual Joint Scientific Conference and Seminar on Changing Patterns of Communicable Diseases, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Binding of Plasmodium falciparum to the Endothelial Receptor CD36: Inhibition with Sera. Opiyo MO and Duffy PE.
December 7th- 12th 1998: Trainee presentation on The Current Immunodiagnostic strategies and malaria situation in Kenya, The Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
November 10th – 12th 1999. The 10th Annual Conference of the Association of Kenya Laboratory Scientific Officers, Sunset Hotel, Kisumu, Kenya. A Method to Clear Yeast Contamination from Malaria Cultures. Opiyo MO, Gitonga JK and Stouté JA.
November 28th – December 2nd 1999. The 48th Annual Conference of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Hilton Hotel, Washington Towers, Washington DC, USA. Cytoadherance of Plasmodium falciparum and Clinical Disease. Opiyo MO, Gitonga JK and Stouté JA.
Science Journal Club presentations, Walter Reed Project in Kisumu and Nairobi labs.
Laboratory safety guidelines and procedures using radioactive material, Walter Reed Project, Nairobi, Kenya.
Scientific Papers and Abstracts
A phase I trial comparing sub-cutaneous and intra-muscular delivery of SPf66 reactogenicity and immunogenicity. Michal Fried, Opiyo MO and Duffy PE et al; 1996
Binding of Plasmodium falciparum to the endothelial receptor CD36: Inhibition with Sera. Opiyo MO and Duffy PE; Feb 1997.
Plasmodium falciparum adhesion to the endothelial molecule CD36 is a conserved process, which involves the parasite protein: Sequestrin. Koros J, Opiyo MO and Duffy PE; 1997.
Immune responses in Placental malaria. Duffy PE, Opiyo MO and Michal Fried et al; 1997.
Immunological responses to Sequestrin. Malachi OO, Opiyo MO and Duffy et al; 1997.
A method to clear yeast contamination from malaria cultures. Opiyo MO, Gitonga JK and Stouté JA; 1999.
Cytoadherance of Plasmodium falciparum and clinical disease. Opiyo MO, Gitonga JK and Stouté JA; 1999.
Evidence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria drug resistance among urban population in Kenya. Opiyo MO, Julia WM, Pamela LO, Josephat MK, Uzma A and Bernhards O; 2001.
March 1999: Appointed by the Chief, Malaria Immunology and Vaccine Research, Dr. José Stouté to supervise and organize the Kisian research supplies stores.
November 1999: Appointed by the Director USAMRU-K, Dr. R. Rosenberg to serve in USAMRU-K scientific achievement award committee starting the year 2000, for a two-year term.
September 4th 2001: The new director for USAMRU, Dr. Sam Martin, validated the above appointment to serve again in the committee for the remaining part of the two-year term.
Coordination of sample distributions to various study groups in Walter Reed Project research labs.
Sample storage and record logs.
Laboratory supplies acquisition and distribution within Walter Reed Project Laboratory, Kisumu, Kenya.Laboratory supplies store management and supervision, including its linking to the general supplies unit within Walter Reed Project Labs, Kisumu, Kenya.
Graduate Students guidance on research methods and applications, including assistance in thesis writing and presentation preparations.
Overall supervision for the Tissue Culture Laboratory unit, Kisian, Kisumu, Kenya.
Expert phlebotomy.
Volunteer services, including participation in public exhibitions and presentations within and outside the Walter Reed Project Research Unit.
Representation of Walter Reed Project/KEMRI soccer games.
Excellence:
Best school candidate in KCPE of 1985, Holo-Orucho Primary School.
Best in the Kisumu District Mock Examinations, Awasi Mixed Secondary School, 1989.
Best KCSE candidate, Awasi Mixed Secondary School, 1989.
Oratory Medical Presentation Contest Runner – up, The Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu, 1992.
Best Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT) qualifier (shared with 3 others) in the DMLT90S class, Applied Sciences Department, The Mombasa Polytechnic, 1993.
Recent Advances
1999:
Biotechnique discovery – A method
to clear yeast contamination from malaria cultures.
2001: Just finished taking Higher Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (Immunology, Clinical Chemistry and Hematology & Immunohematology). The Kenya Polytechnic, Nairobi, Kenya. Course ended in November 2001.
2001: Registered a poster presentation abstract (Evidence Plasmodium falciparum malaria drug resistance among urban population in Kenya) to the 50th Annual Conference of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, to be held in Atlanta, USA, 2001.
Miscellaneous and General Information
Referees:
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Mr. Moses
Paxton Ocholla,
Head of Department, Applied Sciences, The Mombasa Polytechnic, P. O. Box 90420, MOMBASA – KENYA. Tel: +254 011 492222/3/4 E-mail: |
Dr. Jose
Stouté, MD, Chief, Malaria Immunology and Vaccine Research, Walter Reed Project, P. O. Box 54, KISUMU – KENYA. Tel: +254 035 22942 Fax: +254 035 22903 E-mail:
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Dr.
Patrick Emmet Duffy, MD, WRAIR, Washington DC, USA. Mr. Gerald M. Murage,Course
Tutor, The Kenya Polytechnic, P.
O. Box 52428,
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Dr.
Bernherds R. Ogutu, Research Scientist, Walter Reed Project/KEMRI, P. O. Box 2254, Kenyatta National Hospital, NAIROBI – KENYA. E-mail: ;
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Mr. P. M.
Njomo, Head
of Department, The Kenya Polytechnic, P.
O. Box 52428,
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Dr. John
Mudegu Vulule, PhD.,
Director, Vector Borne Diseases Research Center, The Kenya Medical Research Institute, P. O. Box 1578, KISUMU – KENYA. Tel: +254 035 22902/22929 E-mail:
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