Dr. Martha A. Kaddumukasa

Lecturer

BSc, MSc (Parasitology), MSc ( LWE-Environmental Microbiology) (Ph.D.) (Entomology)

mkaddumukasa@kyu.ac.ug

mkaddumukasa@gmail.com

Biography

Martha is a researcher and lecturer at the Kyambogo University, Kampala Uganda where she has taught a number of courses in parasitology, entomology and public health. Pursuing this research agenda, she was recently a research fellow in 2020, working on the evolutionary genetics of odor receptors of Aedes aegypti using targeted resequencing at Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, UK. Before this, she did a post doc at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa working on mosquito genetics and insecticide resistance in Uganda and Southern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and malaria. For her PhD she worked on mosquito genetics and diversity from Zika forest and Kitala, Uganda. She has also attended an MSc in Environmental Science (Austria and Netherlands) Limnology and specialized in environmental microbiology, an MSc in Parasitology, a postgraduate diploma in Education (PGDE) and a Diploma in research methods from Denmark. She has also attended many health related courses.

Malaria takes an enormous toll on the poorest regions of the world with the most lethal malaria species, Plasmodium falciparum, responsible for up to 500 million clinical cases and nearly a half-million deaths annually. Malaria continues to thrive in many regions around the world, largely due to the continuous emergence and spread of drug resistance. My research combines field and lab-based activities to evaluate malaria and other vector borne diseases and their transmission. I look at mosquito host-seeking behaviors in the context of vector control interventions and evaluate the impact of control programs on the transmission of vector borne diseases using morphological and molecular techniques. In addition, I understand the influence of health policies and reproductive health of various age groups.

Area of speciality

Entomology, Parasitology, Environmental microbiology, molecular biology, public health

Research Interests

The first theme is to understand how insect populations especially mosquitoes respond to environmental change.We are developing a tool kit of biomarkers and indicators of population stability both over time and across ecological gradients.·  

The second theme is  document the transmission of vector borne disease dynamics and thier impacts and control them using natural products / simple technology.

The third theme is to understand how natural water microorganisms interact to cause disease in the human population for example Vibrio cholerae interactions over changing seasons.

Of interest are the interactions of various age groups in relation withtheir sexual and reproductive health.

Current Projects

 Malaria Control with Biosynthesized larvicides and repellents from Aromatic plants, Nwoya, Uganda

“Seek and Destroy”

Publications

  1. Onen, H.; Luzala, M.M.; Kigozi, S.; Sikumbili, R.M.; Muanga, C.-J.K.; Zola, E.N.; Wendji, S.N.; Buya, A.B.; Balciunaitiene, A.; Viškelis, J.; Kaddumukasa M. A. and. Memvanga P. B (2023). Mosquito-Borne Diseases and Their Control Strategies: An Overview Focused on Green Synthesized Plant-Based Metallic Nanoparticles. Insects, 14, 221. https://doi.org/10.3390/ insects14030221.
  2. Abadi M. Mashlawi, Ashwaq M. Al‑Nazawi, Elsiddig M. Noureldin, Hussain Alqahtani, Jazem A. Mahyoub, Jassada Saingamsook, Mustapha Debboun, Martha Kaddumukasa, Hesham M. Al‑Mekhlafi and Catherine Walton. (2022). Molecular analysis of knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene of Aedes aegypti populations from Saudi Arabia. Parasites & Vectors. 15, 375. DO- 10.1186/s13071-022-05525-y
  3. Benjamin George Jacob, Denis Loum, Martha Kaddumukasa, Joseph Kamgno, Hugues Nana Djeunga, André Domche, Philip Nwane, Joseph Mwangangi, Santiago Hernandez 2 Bojorge, Jeegan Parikh, Jesse Casanova, Ricardo Izureta, Edwin Micheal, Thomas Mason, Alfred Mubangizi.( 2021). Geospatial Artificial Intelligence Infused into a Smartphone Drone Application for Implementing ‘Seek and Destroy’ in Uganda. American Journal of Entomology. 5( 4): 92-109. doi: 10.11648/j.aje.20210504.11
  4. Fredrick G. Kabbale and Martha A. Kaddumukasa. (2021). Exploring the Potential Influence of Weather Patterns and Anthropogenic Activities on Biodiversity and Disease Burden in Uganda. Challenging Issues on Environment and Earth Science Vol. 7, Page 125-135. https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/ciees/v7/3061D Published: 2021-08-07.
  5. Mona Minakshi, Tanvir Bhuiyan, Sherzod Kariev, Martha Kaddumukasa, Denis Loum Nathanael B. Stanley, Sriram Chellappan, Peace Habomugisha, David Oguttu and Benjamin G. Jacob. (2020). High-accuracy detection of malaria mosquito habitats using drone-based multispectral imagery and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms in an agrovillage peri-urban pastureland intervention site (Akonyibedo) in Unyama Sub–County, Gulu District, Northern Uganda. Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology – https://doi.org/10.5897/JPHE2020.1213 Article Number: EC1163D64331.
  6. Kaddumukasa, M. A., Wright, J., Muleba, M., Stevenson, J. C., Norris, D. E. and Coetzee, M. (20200. Genetic differentiation and population structure of Anopheles funestus from Uganda and southern Africa countries Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Parasites and vectors 13:87.
  7. Bennett K. L., Kaddumukasa M., Shija F. Djouaka R., Misinzo G., Lutwama J., Linton Y. M. and Walton C.( 2018). Comparative phylogeography of Aedes mosquitoes and the role of past climatic change for evolution within Africa Ecology and Evolution 8: 3019 – 3036
  8. Bennett K. L., Shija F., Linton Y. M., Misinzo G., Kaddumukasa M., Djouaka R., Anyaele O., Harris A., Irish S., Hlaing T., Prakash A., Lutwama J. and Walton C. (2016). Historical environmental change in Africa drives divergence and admixture of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes: a precursor to successful worldwide colonization? Molecular Ecology doi: 10.1111/mec.13762.
  9. Bennett K. L., Linton Y. M., Shija F., Kaddumukasa M., Djouaka R., Gerald Misinzo G., Lutwama J., Huang Y. M., Mitchell L. B. , Walton C. (2015). Molecular differentiation of the African yellow fever vector Aedes (Stegomyia) bromeliae (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae) from its sympatric non-vector sister species, Aedes lilii (Theobald). (PLOS Neglected Tropical diseases DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004250).
  10. Kaddumukasa A. M., Kayondo K. J., Masiga D., Akol A. M., Lutwama J. J. & Masembe C. (2015). High proportion of human feeding by mosquito vectors in Zika forest, Uganda has implications for the spread of new arbovirus pathogens. African Journal of Biotechnology, 14(16):1418-1426; DOI:10.5897/AJB2015.14474. ISSN: 1684-5315.
  11. Kaddumukasa, M., C. Masembe, J. Kayondo, Akol, A. M., Lutwama, J. (2014). The Distribution of mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) activity in Zika Forest, Uganda: Public Health Implications, Baraton Interdisplinary Research Journal, 3(2): 19-27. ISSN 2079- 4711.
  12. Kaddumukasa, M., C. Masembe, J. Kayondo, Akol, A. M., Mutebi, J-P., Lutwama, J. J. 2014. Species composition of adult mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) collected from a tropical rainforest, Zika, Entebbe, Uganda. Journal of Medical Entomology, 51(1):104- 113; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/ME12269.
  13. Kaddumukasa, M., Nsubuga, D and F. J. Muyodi. (2012). Occurence of culturable Vibrio cholerae from two rift valley Lakes; Albert and George, and Lake Victoria, Uganda. Lakes and Reserviors 17(4): 291-299. Doi:10111/Ire.12009.