Current students

Ms. Noelia Valderrama-Bhraunxs

Noelia Valderrama-Bhraunxs is an aquatic biologist with a master’s degree in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management, jointly offered by Ghent University, Antwerp University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. Currently, she is an FWO PhD fellow, focusing on the spatial and temporal distribution of snail hosts of parasitic diseases in Uganda, DRC, and Chad.
Topic: The spatial and temporal distribution of snail hosts of parasitic diseases in Uganda, DRC, and Chad to control and prevent poverty-related diseases like schistosomiasis and fasciolosis using citizen science data.
Institution: KU Leuven and the Royal Museum for Central Africa
Start: 2021 | Expected Graduation: 2026

Mr. Germain Kapour

Germain Kapour is a medical doctor with a master's degree in Ecosystems, Contaminants and Health from the University of Franche-Comté in France, followed by another master's degree in Ecology of Infectious Diseases, Risk Management and Natural Hazards from the University of Kinshasa in DR Congo. He received a grant from the ATRAP DRC project and the Royal Museum for Central Africa.
Topic: The genetic diversity of schistosomiasis host snails and their implications for vector control in DR Congo.
Institution: Université de Kinshasa
Start: 2019 | Expected Graduation: 2026

Ms. Wangari Cecilia Wambui

Cecilia Wangari Wambui earned her Master’s in Sustainable Development at KU Leuven, supported by a VLIR-UOS scholarship. Her thesis focused on female genital schistosomiasis in DR Congo. She later joined the Africa Museum in Belgium as a researcher in the Biology department before starting her PhD at KU Leuven in 2023.
Topic: Developing point-of-care molecular tools for environmental monitoring of Schistosoma, mosquito vectors and Plasmodium
Institution: KU Leuven & Africa Musuem collaborating with the Belgian Military Biology Laboratories (DLD)
Start: 2023 | Expected Graduation: 2027

Mr. Francis Ssenkuba

Francis Ssenkuba is a malacologist with a master’s degree in Natural Resources Management, Ecology and Conservation from Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda (MUST). Currently, he is a PhD student funded by ATRAP at MUST.
Topic: Point-of-care monitoring of schistosomiasis parasites in Lake Albert, southwestern Uganda: Optimising the environmental DNA lamp assay
Institution: Mbarara University of Science and Technology
Start: 2024 | Expected Graduation: 2029

Mr. Felix Okello 

Okello Felix is a PhD candidate in Development Studies at the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies at MUST. His academic and professional focus lies in community-led development, with particular emphasis on the co-design of sustainable, locally relevant water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for the prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases.
Topic: Anthropological Perspectives on Community-Led Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Interventions to Control and Prevent Schistosomiasis in Kagadi District, Western Uganda
Institution: Mbarara University of Science and Technology
Start: 2024 | Expected Graduation: 2029

Mr. Fred Besigye

Fred Besigye was a Research Officer with the Vector Control Division, Ministry of Health, Uganda. With over 12 years of experience, Fred has built his expertise around the epidemiology and vector biology of schistosomiasis. He is currently pursuing a PhD focused on developing a plant-based molluscicide to control the intermediate snail hosts of schistosomiasis.
Topic: Optimising the use of Phytolacca dodecandra for Sustainable Schistosomiasis Vector Control in Uganda
Institution: Mbarara University of Science and Technology
Start: 2024 | Expected Graduation: 2029

Ms. Chantal Mokoko

Chantal Mokoko obtained her master's at the Catholic University of Congo (UCC). Her thesis explored participatory communication strategies in the fight against schistosomiasis, with a particular emphasis on the citizen science approach in the Kimpese health zone in DRC. She is currently continuing her studies as a pre-doctoral student in the second phase of the ATRAP project.
Topic: Health communication for schistosomiasis and malaria control in co-endemic areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo: towards an integrated and participatory approach for community behavior change
Awarding institution: Université de Kinshasa
Start: 2025 | Expected Graduation: 2029

Mr. Papy Ansobi

Papy Ansobi is a PhD student in Eco-Epidemiology affiliated with the Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), where he conducts research at the intersection of ecology and infectious disease dynamics. He is also professionally linked with the Ministry of Health of the DRC, contributing to evidence-based health initiatives.
Topic: Genetic diversity of Schistosoma intermediate hosts in rural Kimpese and evaluation of citizen science–based methods and eDNA monitoring as adaptive monitoring approaches.
Awarding institution: Université de Kinshasa
Start: 2025 | Expected Graduation: 2029

Mr. Benjamin André

Benjamin André is a PhD student in Eco-Epidemiology affiliated with the University of Antwerp (UAntwerp), where he conducts research on the xenomonitoring of malaria in mosquitoes and disease ecology modelling.
Topic: How seasonal and spatial heterogeneity influence malaria vector distribution, infection, and transmission risk in rural Kimpese, Democratic Republic of the Congo? 
Institution: UAntwerp and the Royal Museum for Central Africa.
Start: 2025 | Expected Graduation: 2029

Mr. Godfrey Magezi Begumisa

Godfrey Magyezi Begumisa is a cell and molecular biologist and a PhD fellow under the ATRAP–TSARA international collaboration, as well as a faculty member at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda. His research focuses on improving access to safe water to reduce water-related neglected tropical diseases, particularly schistosomiasis, through sustainable water treatment approaches.
Topic: Remediation of schistosome cercariae and faecal bacteria from contaminated water sources using constructed wetlands and electrochlorination
Institution: Mbarara University of Science and Technology
Start: 2024 | Expected Graduation: 2027