CURRICULUM VITAE

Name:          Willie Kipkemboi Sang

Address:       Center for Microbiology Research

                     KEMRI

                     PO Box 548

                     Nairobi

                    Home

                    PO Box 1414

                    Kitale

Date of Birth: 20 December 1955

  Educational Qualifications:

1977 – Sept 1978            Lubbock University (USA)

                                       Pre-Med Studies

Sept 1978-1981               Texas Tech University

                                       Bachelor of Science in Microbiology

                                       Minor Biochemistry

  36 hours Food Technology

 Sept 1987 – Oct 1988     London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London.

Master of Science in Medical Microbiology. The curriculum emphasized on medical bacteriology, Virology and mycology.

 Nov 1988 – Apr 1989      Attachment at Public health Laboratories at Collindale (U.K.)

 Oct 1993 – Jan 1994     Gifu Medical School

Research activity on molecular analysis of enteric pathogens using PCR technique.

Feb 1994 – June 1994  Osaka Medical School, Institute of Bacteriology and Serology

Analysis of bacterial toxins using PCR and Oligo nucleotides probes and gene sequencing

Certificate awarded

Dec 1995 – May 1999    Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerpen Belgium   Diploma – Epidemiology & Biostatics.

April 1996                    Certificate Intensive Course: Advanced methods in epidemiological research.

Additional Skills:      The use of computer software such as EPI-INFO, Word-Perfect5.1, Harvard Graphics, Minitab and Egrel.

Languages:                English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Swahili

Date of Employment:

17 May 1984                   Assistant Research Officer

19 Oct 1989                    Upgraded to Research Officer

1 July 1996                     Upgraded to Senior Research Officer

Present Position:           1996 to date – Senior Research Officer, CMR

  Duties:

1990 to date:

Core investigator for Center for Microbiology Research on KEMRI/JICA diarrhea project at Malindi

Co-ordinate the field and central operations of Malindi Project

Supervision of technical staff and field workers in the Project

Training technical staff in new diagnostic techniques on diarrhoeal agents

Developed the research protocol for Malindi project

Head of the KEMRI/JICA Workshop on current diagnostic methods of bacterial diarrhoeal agent set for 26 July 1993

Teach both technical staff and research officers at CMR, the cell culture techniques for toxin assays in pathogenic bacteria.

Work Done:

Toxin assay for bacterial enteric pathogen using Y1 mouse adrenal cell line for detection of heat labile (LT)

enterotoxin.  Tested for bacterial invasiveness by using cell line Hep-2, of larynx, ATCC NO. CCL23. 

This was mostly applicable for the Entero-invesive E. coli and Shigella

The tissue culture test for adhesion of enteric bacteria that has mechanism of attaching and effacing the epithelial cells

The detection of entero-hemorrhagic E. coli by vero cell line

Application of DNA probes to investigate the virulence factors associated with the diarrhoel agents isolated from the

patient

The plasmid analysis of identified bacterial strains that ate pathogenic, in order to give us useful information on antibiotic

resistance pattern.

Used the modern advanced technique, the polymarase chain reaction as a confirmatory method for all the

suspected enteric pathogens.

Achievements:                                                 

Isolated and reported the first case of entero-hemorragic E. coli 0157.H7 from a patient at Kitui Hospital. 

This was followed by other two cases one from IDH Kenyatta and another from Malindi Hospital.  These

strains were recently discovered in Canada, and USA.  This was probably the first report from Africa.

The isolation of verotoxin producing E. coli of different serotypes from the already known serotypes

The isolation of strains that carry all the pathogenic factors e.g. heat labile toxin (LT), heat stable (ST) verotoxin (VT) Attaching to HEP2 to date such strains have not been documented

The investigation and identification of the source of infection on the outbreak of cholera in refugee camp at Marafa, Kilifi, in June 1994

Organized an etiologic study of childhood diarrhea in Malindi, Kenya.  A proposal presented on “The spread of multi-drug Resistant Streptococcus Pneumoniae among hospitalized children in Nairobi, Kenya

Present Research Activities:

To investigate the virulence factors associated with enteric bacterial pathogens other than that we know.

To look more into the extent of entero-hemorrhagic E. coli 0157.H7

Examine food, water and environment of the patients admitted with diarrhea in order to establish the source of infection.

New and re-emerging diseases bacterial in particular.

Management of opportunistic infections in AIDS patients.

Analyzing the bacterial virulence factors of vibrio and salmonella dysentery that led to the death of 59 people at refugee camps in Kenya.

Epidemiological Studies

Screening tests and their validation

Methods of standardization.

The organization and design of survey.

 Questionnaire design

Data checking and processing

Survey analysis

Epidemics and outbreaks

Surveillance systems

Risk estimation and high risk groups

Descriptive and inferential statistics

Elaboration of research proposals

Epidemiologist of T

 Linear regression analysis

Causal model

Survival analysis

Stratified analysis

Control for confounders

Qualitative methods in health research.

Honors and Awards:

 1991 Diploma of Honor for distinction as an alumnus of Lubbock Christian University in outstanding service to fellowman.

1978   Who’s Who’s in American Colleges & Universities

International Conferences, Workshops and Seminars

The Management Workshop Consortium for International Development. 1983, Lubbock, Texas, USA.

Delegate from London School, The Global Impact of AIDS Conference, London 1988.

Presented a paper at The International Congress for Infectious Diseases, Nairobi Kenya 1992.

The Annual Medical Scientific Conferences of KEMRI/KETRI for years 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992 & 1993 p73

The Annual Conference of Taxonomy in Nara, Japan.  October 1993 

The World Conference of Taxonomy at Riken Institute in Tokyo, December 1993.

The Asian Conference on Infectious Diseases, Tokyo Japan, March 1994

The etiology of childhood diarrhea: a community based study in Malindi, Kenya, W .K. Sang, Iijima, A.K Mwangudza, J. K. Mwituria, S. M. Saidi, J.O. Oundo, P. A. Waiyaki & T. Honda. 19th African Health Sciences Congress in Arusha, Tanzania 1998.

International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases.  July 16th –19th 2000 Atlanta, Georgia USA

Presentation: Verocytotoxin production and presence of verotoxin genes in strain of Escherichia coli and Shigella isolates from feces of diarrhoeal patients at Machakos District Hospital in Kenya.  Sang, Willie; Davis, Jon; Smoak Bonnie.  4th International Symposium and Workshop on Shigatoxin (Verocytotoxin) Producing Escherichia coli infections. Oct 29 to Nov 2- 2000 Kyoto, Japan.

Presentation:  Shigatoxin producing Strains of Escherichia coli Isolated from the Masai people in Southern Kenya. J.M Davis, W.K Sang (ASM conference Orlando Florida USA May 20th –24th, 2001).

Publications and Reports

1985       W. Sang, J. Ngugi, F.C. Sang, P.G. Waiyaki.  Escherichia coli Serogroups Associated with Acute Childhood Diarrhea in Mombasa, Kenya.  Proceedings of the 6th Annual Scientific Conference 1985 Pg 12

1986       W.K. Sang, A. Kibue, K. Furuse.  Isolation and Characterization of Aeromonas Phages from Water Samples in Kenya.  Proceedings of the 7th Annual Scientific Conference 1986 Pg 143.

1987-88 Thesis Topic the Detection of Heat Labile (LT) Enterotoxin Producing E. coli Strains Using       Different Broth Media and their Supernatants Inoculated into the Vero Cell Monolayer for the Detection of Cell Effect which could Result in either Cytotoxicity or Cell Rounding.

1991       W. Sang.  AIDS as a Global Tool of Racism and Sexism Towards the African and other Minority Groups.  Proceedings of the 12th Annual Scientific Conferences 1991 Pg 73 (Considered for publication by media)

W. K.  Sang, J. M. Mwangi, J. Oundo, S. M. Saidi.  The Virulence Factors of Escherichia coli Associated with Childhood Diarrhea in Nakuru Hospital and Langa Langa Clinic – Nakuru District of Kenya. Proceedings of the 12th Annual Scientific Conferences 1991

1993       W. K. Sang, J. O. Outdo, S. M. Saudi, J. K. Kamala   The isolation of Enter Hemorrhagic Escherichia coli 0157 H7 from Childhood Diarrhea in Malindi, Kitui and Kenyatta IDH Hospitals. Presented at KEMRI/KETRI Conference 1993   p73

W. K. Sang, J. O. Oundo, S. M. Saidi, Plasmid Mediated Multi-Drug resistance Enterobacteria Isolated Infantile Diarrhea in Three Districts of Kenya.

Others

P. G. Waiyaki, J. M. Ngugi, W. K. Sang, C. Ichoroh

Isolation of Entero-Pathogens from Community Sources in Nyanza Province, Kenya.  Proceeding of the 6th Annual Scientific Conference, 1985

M. A. Kibue, P. G. Waiyaki, W. K. Sang, K. Furuse 

A Great Teacher: 100 Years Since Koch’s Discovery

Proceeding of the 7th Annual Scientific Conference

J. O. Oundo, S. M. Saidi, Y. Yamakawa, W. K. Sang, A. Mwangudza. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations of Antibiotics against Bacteria Associated with Childhood Diarrhea in Children Attending a District Hospital in Kenya.  Proceedings of the 13th Annual Scientific Conference Pg 62 1992.

S. Saidi, J. Oundo, A. Mwangudza, W. K. Sang, J. Khamala, M. Masudi.  An etiological Agents of Diarrhea in Children Living in a Malaria Endemic Area of Kenya.

Proceedings of the 13th Annual Scientific Conference PG 62 1992.

F. C. Sang, S. K. Kagethe, V. A. Orinda, W. K. Sang, R. E. Black, P.G. WaiyakiEscherichia coli Associated with Acute Measles and Diarrhea at Kenyatta National Hospitals, Kenya East African Medical Journal March 1992.

International Journals

K. Fujita, M. Kaku, Y. Yanagase, T. Ezaki, S. M. Saidi, W. K. Sang, P. G. Waiyaki Physicochemical Characteristics and Flora of Diarrheral and Recovery Feces in Children with Acute Gastroenteritis in Kenya, Annals of Tropical Pediatrics (1990) 10, 339-345

L. C. Bebora, H. Yamamoto, W. K. Sang, J. Oundo, J. Khamala, A. Mwangudza, P. W. Mukundi.  Plasmid Profiles of E. coli, Salmonella and Shigella organisms isolated in Kenya. East Africa Medical Journal Vol., 71 No.10 Oct 1994

W. K. Sang, S. M. Saidi, H. Yamamoto, T. Ezaki, T. Iida, M. Yogh, T. Honda. Hemorrhagic Colitis due to Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in Kenya.Journal of Tropical Pediatrics Vol., 42 April 1996.

W. K. Sang, T. Lida, H. Yamamoto, S. M. Saidi, M. Yoh, P. G. Waiyaki, T. Ezaki, T. Honda. Prevalence of Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli in Kenyan Children, J Diarrhoeal Dis Res 1996 Sep: 14(3): 216-217.

W. K. Sang, J. O. Oundo, J K Mwituria, P. G. Waiyaki, M. Yoh, T. Iida, T. Honda Multidrug-Resistant Entero-aggregative Escherichia coli Associated with Persistent Diarrhea in Kenyan Children.  Emerging Infectious Diseases. 1997: 3 (3).

Epidemiological Study on Infectious Diarrhea.  Diseases in Children in a Coastal Rural Area of Kenya.  S. M. Saidi, Y. Lijima, W. K. Sang, A. K. Mwangudza, J. O. Oundo, K. Taga, P. G. Waiyaki, and T. Honda.  Microbial. Immunology. 41 (10), 773-778, 1997

Detection of PCR Products of the ipaH Gene from Shigella and Entero-invasive Escherichia coli by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. O. Senthabutr, M. Venkatesan, S. Yam, L. W. Pang, B. L. Smoak, W. K. Sang, P. Escheverria, D. N. Taylor, D. W. Isenbarger.  Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease 37(2000); 11-16.

Characterization of First Isolates of Shigella Dysenteriae type 12 from East Africa.Willie K. Sang, Jon M. Davis, Bonnie L. Smoak. (The paper has been approved by CMR Scientific       Review Committee to be forwarded to KEMRI Scientific Committee) (2001).

Administrative and Responsibilities

A member of KEMRI Training committee

Principal Investigator of the CMR/MRU Enteric project

Acting for CMR head at KEMRI headquarters

Head of CMR Bacteriology Laboratory at KEMRI headquarters.