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21 April 2023 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Charl Devenish
Dr Emms
Dr Ayodeji Emmanuel Ogunbayo (right), who graduated this week with a Doctor of Philosophy degree with specialisation in Medical Virology, with his proud supervisor Prof Martin Nyaga, Associate Professor in the UFS Next Generation Sequencing (UFS-NGS).

With respiratory diseases contributing to the highest morbidity and mortality rate in children, and the vast majority of disease aetiology remaining undiagnosed in clinical settings, Dr Ayodeji Emmanuel Ogunbayo hopes his research for his PhD in Medical Virology will help to reduce mortality in children with respiratory infection.

Dr Ogunbayo, commonly known as Dr Emms by his peers, graduated on Thursday (20 April 2023) with a Doctor of Philosophy degree with specialisation in Medical Virology at the University of the Free State (UFS) Faculty of Health Sciences graduation ceremony. The title of his thesis was Metagenomics of the respiratory RNA virome of children in the Free State. His supervisor was Prof Martin Nyaga, Associate Professor in the UFS Next Generation Sequencing (UFS-NGS) and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre (WHO CC).

“While clinical metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS), which is an upcoming method, has the potential to revolutionise infection diagnosis and management in children, there is a dearth of information on its clinical applicability in Africa. This is the knowledge that guided the inception of this research,” says Dr Ogunbayo.

Project came at the right time

He commenced with his PhD in Medical Virology in 2019, which was centred on the applicability of mNGS in severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in children and deciphering the children’s respiratory virome in health and disease, a project which was the first of its kind in Africa.

According to him, the project was conceived before the COVID-19 pandemic, however, despite the challenges encountered due to lockdown measures, the project came at the right time as it was able to address several profound effects of the pandemic such as COVID-19 on the dynamics of transmission of respiratory viruses and ultimately its effect on children’s health. During his PhD study, he published four manuscripts in highly reputable journals including the most recent one which was accepted in Journal of Medical Virology (JMV)  an impressive impact factor of 20.693.

The findings from this study included a validated and robust workflow to recover respiratory RNA viruses from clinical samples, according to the graduation programme. The established workflow was adapted to decipher children’s respiratory virome composition in health and disease, with a degree of heterogeneity, while simultaneously establishing the clinical diagnostic applicability of mNGS and, more importantly, the increased utility of dual-triple mNGS analysis tools in robust detection of viral pathogens in SARI.

His hope for the research

Dr Ogunbayo says: “This research generated vast pioneering information and data in Africa that could guide and influence policy in the adoption of clinical metagenomics, especially in cases where conventional methods of diagnosis yielded no results. Hopefully, this could lessen mortality due to respiratory infection in children.

Before studying in the field of medical Microbiology and Virology, he wanted to be a psychiatric nurse, but instead chose his current field of study because of his interest in the microbial world and pathology.

“It’s a feeling one cannot really put into words. A part of me feels like it is a ‘dream come true’ and another part of me feels like ‘this is a milestone achieved, but it’s just a stepping stone to further milestones to be achieved’.

“What is next is for me to dive into the world of policy-influencing research, give back to the academic community through student supervision, and work on my journey to becoming an emerging researcher. This is the reason I have taken a postdoctoral position at the UFS-NGS Unit under the mentorship of Prof Martin Nyaga.”

Prof Nyaga says: “Looking back at Emmanuel’s doctoral journey, it brought out the best in him in every aspect of the study. Longitudinal studies are hectic in the sampling phase, and all the ethical clearances that a study must achieve prior to beginning the sampling and the laboratory work can be very frustrating. Soon after his study was approved, the pandemic lockdown level 5 rules were applied, which meant he had to pause on the study. However, his focus, positive mindset and his ability to work in close consultation with his supervisor enabled him to finish this study in the best way possible. I am very proud of him.”

News Archive

Regional Conference on Trafficking in Human Beings
2007-06-29

Trafficking in Human Beings:
National and International Perspectives

Date: 17th August 2007
Address: CR Swart Auditorium, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Every year thousands of children and adults become victims of trafficking and abuse in South Africa and throughout the southern African region. Victims are trafficked for a myriad of reasons: sexual exploitation, including prostitution and pornography; illegal labour, including child conscription; domestic servitude; illegal adoptions; body parts/organs; and forced marriages.

The Unit for Children’s Rights, Department of Criminal and Medical Law, University of the Free State (UFS), together with the Centre for Continuing Legal Education at UFS, will host a Regional Conference on Trafficking in Human Beings. The conference will bring together key role-players from the South African government as well as crucial international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the region.

Trafficking in human beings, especially women and children, is a serious violation of the human rights of the victims, as well as an extremely profitable source of income to organized crime, and needs the attention and intervention of both governmental and non-governmental institutions in South Africa.

Speakers will include representatives from the United National Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the South African Law Reform Commission, the Unit for Children’s Rights-UFS, and NGOs Molo Songololo and Terre Des Homes, that work with child trafficking victims in South Africa and around the world.

The media are invited to report on the conference, and interview speakers and presenters Attached find programme. For more info contact the following persons.

1. Beatri Kruger - 051 401 2108 / email: krugerh.rd@mail.ufs.ac.za  
2. Susan Kreston - 051 401 9562 / email: krestons.rd@mail.ufs.ac.za  
3. Elizabeth Snyman – 051 401 2268 / email: snymane.rd@mail.ufs.ac.za  

Programme

Trafficking in human beings:
National & international perspectives


Presented by The Unit for Children’s Rights, Department Of Criminal & Medical Law , Faculty of Law, in Conjunction with The Centre for Continuing Legal Education, University of the Free State.

Funded through the Generosity of the United States Department of State

17 AUGUST, 2007 – CR SWART AUDITORIAM

8:00-8:30 Registration & Tea
8:30-8:45 Opening & Welcome
Prof. JJ Henning, Faculty of Law
8:45-9:40 Overview & Global Perspective
Prof. Susan Kreston - Unit for Children’s Rights, Faculty of Law-UFS

9:40-10:00 TEA

10:00-10:45 International Perspectives & the Role of Organized Crime in Trafficking
Wiesje Zikkenheiner, Associate Expert
United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime, Pretoria
10:45-11:45 Identifying and Assisting Victims of Trafficking
Marija Nikolovska, Project Officer
International Organization for Migration, Pretoria

11:45-12:30 LUNCH

12:30-1:15 Prosecuting Trafficking Without Trafficking Laws
Adv. Nolwandle Qaba, Sexual Offences & Community Affairs Unit
National Prosecuting Authority, Pretoria
1:15-2:15 Recommendations for New Legislation in South Africa
Lowesa Stuurman - South African Law Reform Commission, Pretoria

2:15-2:30 TEA

2:30-2:50 The Role of Terre Des Homes in Fighting Trafficking in Children
Judith Mthombeni– Terre Des Homes, Pretoria
2:50-3:50 Trafficking in Children in South Africa – A Front Line Perspective
Patrick Solomon - Molo Songololo, Cape Town
3:50-4:00 Closing Remarks
Adv. Beatri Kruger
Department of Criminal & Medical Law - UFS

 

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