July 2025 – NUITM-KEMRI Project

Recently, Professor Katharina Kranzer from the London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine visited the Kenya Station of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University.Professor Kranzer is the Director of the Health Research Unit Zimbabwe (THRU-Zim), leading large-scale tuberculosis studies across Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Mozambique. She also plays a key role as an international expert in developing WHO guidelines for tuberculosis diagnosis and screening, and serves as the doctoral supervisor for Assistant Professor Hikone at our station. During her visit, Professor Kranzer provided valuable advice on the ongoing prospective study of extrapulmonary tuberculosis led by Assistant Professor Hikone and Associate Professor Saito. She also toured the BSL3 laboratory, observing the culture work for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and expressed strong interest in the rigorous biosafety management systems implemented at the Kenya Station. In addition, Professor Kranzer visited patient enrollment sites at Kenyatta National Hospital and Mbagathi County Hospital. She was deeply impressed by the scale of patient recruitment and the robust research infrastructure, remarking that “this is undoubtedly one of the leading tuberculosis research efforts in Africa.” Looking ahead, we expect to further expand our collaborative networks with the London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine, European research groups, and pharmaceutical companies, paving the way for new international joint studies.The Kenya Station of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, will continue to advance world-class tuberculosis research with these strengthened partnerships.

Professor Kranzer from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Visits Kenya Station — High Praise for Africa’s Top-Level Laboratory Facilities and TB Research