Dr. Rachael Dangarembizi is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Human Biology and a neuroscientist in the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She has established the first laboratory in Africa that studies the mechanisms of brain injury caused by fungal neuroinfections. Her research bridges basic science with clinical insights, aiming to improve diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes by understanding fungal-host interactions, neuroimmune responses, and brain injury. Dr. Dangarembizi has earned multiple awards for her work and leads several organizations dedicated to advancing neuroscience capacity across Africa with the aim of growing local expertise and infrastructure to drive impactful research. In this Q&A, she tells us about the challenges and opportunities of conducting globally competitive research with limited resources.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-07321-z | DOI Listing |
Trends Microbiol
January 2025
CMM AFRICA Medical Mycology Research Unit, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Medical Research Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Exeter, UK.
Fungal infections are a major contributor to mortality for people with HIV/AIDS. Recently, researchers, clinicians, industry experts, and policymakers convened for the triennial AIDS-Related Mycoses Meeting to address critical gaps in the management of AIDS-related mycoses. Delegates highlighted several scientifically driven milestones that have significantly reduced fungal-related deaths, and the need to address outstanding challenges in diagnosis, treatment, and research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Rev Microbiol
November 2024
Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
mBio
March 2024
Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.
is a major fungal pathogen of humans that causes life-threatening lung infections in immunocompromised individuals. Despite its huge global impact upon human health, our understanding of the pathobiology of this deadly fungus remains extremely limited, largely because it is not yet possible to cultivate independently of the host. However, a recent paper by Munyonho et al.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrends Neurosci
December 2023
Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Cryptococcal immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (C-IRIS) is a condition that affects immunosuppressed individuals recruited to antiretroviral therapy. In a recent publication, Kawano and colleagues used a mouse model to demonstrate that pulmonary dysfunction, one of the fatal complications of C-IRIS, is caused by T cell-driven neurodegeneration in a vital medullary nucleus of the brain responsible for respiratory control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethods Mol Biol
May 2023
Faculty of Health Sciences, Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
Cryptococcal meningitis affects millions of people worldwide and is especially prevalent in regions with a high burden of HIV/AIDS. The study of the pathophysiology of this often fatal disease has been significantly hindered by the lack of reliable experimental models, especially at the level of the brain, which is the main organ of injury. Here we outline our novel protocol for the use of hippocampal organotypic brain slice cultures (HOCs) to study the host-fungal interactions during cryptococcal infections of the brain.
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