Vesla Kullaya

I am a biomedical scientist specializing in immunology and microbiome studies at the Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute (KCRI), affiliated with the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania. I also serve as a part-time lecturer in molecular biology and immunology at the KCMC University.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and biotechnology from the University of Dar es Salaam, and both a master’s and a PhD in biomedical sciences from Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands.

Currently, I am an NIH postdoctoral fellow, collaborating with partners at the University of Virginia, Kibong’oto Infectious Diseases Hospital, and the Haydom Global Health Research Centre. My research focuses on profiling immunological and gut microbiome in Tuberculosis patients.

Within the EDCTP network, I serve as Deputy Training Coordinator for the East African Consortium for Clinical Research (EACCR). I am also a mentor and member of the supervisory team for the CAFÉ-SEA programme (Capacity Building for Female Scientists in East Africa), and I co-lead the mentoring and scientific leadership development work package in the EDCTP3-funded SAHRI Fellowship Program.