Seminar - Challenges of integrating disease prevention and control methods: Example of Mpox in the DRC (Placide Mbala)
About the event
In this seminar, Dr Placide Mbala will provide a historical overview of mpox, followed by a moderated discussion on the characteristics of human mpox infection, its prevention, the ongoing epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and surveillance and response measures.
Dr Mbala is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Kinshasa, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, and Director of the Clinical Research Centre at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), one of ITM's partner institutions in the DRC. As a co-principal investigator, Dr Mbala is currently leading several research studies on mpox in the DRC, including the MBOTE (Mpox Biology, Outcome, Transmission, and Epidemiology) study, a collaboration between INRB and ITM.
The discussion will be moderated by ITM colleague Deogratias Katsuva Sibongweri, coordinator of our postgraduate certificate programmes.
This event has passed. You can find the recording down below.
Placide Mbala Kingebeni
Head of the Epidemiology and Global health Department & Director of the Clinical Research Center, INRB
Dr Placide Mbala Kingebeni has extensive experience in medical biology, with specific training and expertise in microbiology, virology and outbreak investigations. His research focuses on viral zoonoses that pose risks for human transmission. As principal investigator and co-investigator for several university and US-funded grants, Dr Mbala laid the foundation for his research projects in the very remote regions of the DRC, where most outbreaks occur.
He has contributed to several research projects, including clinical and genomic characterisation of zoonotic viral pathogens such as Ebola, mpox virus, SARS-CoV2, etc. Currently, Dr Mbala, as co-principal investigator, is leading several research studies on mpox in the DRC, including the MBOTE (Mpox Biology, Outcome, Transmission and Epidemiology) study, a collaboration between INRB and ITM.
In 2024, Placide Mbala was featured in Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science.
Travelling to ITM
Are you coming to ITM to attend the seminar? We are located in the centre of Antwerp. We strongly encourage you to walk, bike, or use public transportation. Parking can be difficult, so please avoid travelling by car whenever possible.
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