Combating Malaria through Vaccines - Dr. Ousmane Traoré

Dr. Ousmane Traoré is an immunology and parasitology researcher currently working as Laboratory Manager at the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN / URCN) in Burkina Faso. He was a key figure in several malaria vaccine trials, including the phase II and III trials for R21/Matrix-M and the phase II trial for RH5/Matrix-M. His primary responsibilities include overseeing lab activities associated with clinical trials. Dr. Traoré, who holds a PhD in Applied Biology from Université Nazi Boni in Bobo-Dioulasso, has made significant contributions to our understanding of the immune correlates of malaria protection. He has held numerous research positions and collaborated with national and international institutions, including the Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique (CNRST) and the University of Antwerp. Dr. Traoré has also received numerous travel awards and grants for his work on malaria and other infectious diseases. He has served as the Principal Investigator for several significant projects, including the GSK Supported Studies Programme: Africa Open Lab 2023 on placental malaria biomarkers and the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) Small Grants Programme 2021 on postpartum malaria. He has also served as Co-Principal Investigator for a project funded by the National Fund for Research and Innovation for Development (FONRID ) Grants Programme 2021 that examined the efficacy of the hepatitis B vaccine in Burkina Faso. He has presented his research at numerous international conferences and has written extensively in prestigious scientific journals. His commitment to advancing public health in low- and middle-income countries is reflected in his ongoing research and numerous scientific contributions.

This episode spotlights Dr. Ousmane Traoré's efforts and contributions that led to the approval of the current malaria vaccines. He takes us on a journey through his work on the field and in the lab and highlights the indispensable role community engagement plays in combating vaccine hesitancy and boosting vaccinations.

Connect with him/learn more about his work ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ (https://crun.bf/researchers/ousmane-traore/) and across ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ousmane-traore-13b79933/)⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠ResearchGate (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ousmane-Traore-4)⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Time stamps:

00:00 - intro

01:30 - background, academic and research journey

08:41 - contributions towards the approval of the current malaria vaccines

12:39 - challenges with clinical trials in Africa: the past, present, and future

25:43 - more on malaria vaccines: why they took so long to develop; current limitations; future perspectives

36:34 - engaging local communities to boost vaccinations

44:11 - closing remarks

47:28 - outro