Papa Makhtar Drame

*** ****** *****, ****** ****, NC, 27514

Phone: 919-***-**** E-Mail: adii7n@r.postjobfree.com

Research Scientist / Immunoassay & Molecular Assay Manager

A prolific assistant research professor with extensive knowledge in the space of immunoassay development and validation. Secured PhD in Biological Sciences and Human Pathologies from the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Senegal, and possesses robust knowledge across Risk Assessment, Research & Analysis, Report Writing & Documentation. Expertise in Grant & Proposal Writing, Leadership & Mentoring, Team Management, Field Survey, Data Analysis and Review, Statistical Analysis, Administrative Duties, Program Management, Process Improvement, and Communication. Passionate about developing immunological and molecular assays for the diagnosis of diseases and seeks to contribute to the study and research of the molecular epidemiology of diseases. A result-driven professional adept at managing multiple tasks and responsibilities in a time-bound environment. An innate sense of job prioritization supports proficiency for diagnosis, surveillance, and risk forecasting. Significant mentoring experience at the National Institutes of Health, Kansas State University, and the Duke Global Health Institute malaria laboratory. Articulate communicator with exceptional presentation and interpersonal skills.

~ Discovered and developed biomarkers of Loa loa infections and studied the interaction between parasites at the molecular level ~ Recipient of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Travel Award, 2008 ~ Successfully led malaria field-research teams in Benin (2010-2011) and Senegal (2007) ~ Served as an independent peer reviewer for various journals, including American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, PLOS One, Parasites & Vectors, Malaria Journal, and International Journal for Parasitology

Skill Areas: Risk Assessment w Research & Analysis w Report Writing & Documentation w Grant and proposal writing w Leadership & Mentoring w Team Management w Field Survey w Data Analysis and Review w Statistical Analysis w Administrative Duties w Program Management w Process Improvement w Communication w Presentations w Strong Interpersonal Skills w Critical Thinking w Problem-Solving w Fluency in Wolof and French

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Duke University – Durham, NC (March 2019 to January 2020)

Assistant Research Professor

Duke University is a renowned private research university in Durham, North Carolina.

As an Assistant Research Professor, I pioneered efforts to develop, validate and deploy new molecular methods for highthrouput malaria diagnosis and risk assessment to support the elimination of the ailment.

I was responsible for monitoring and managing the activities at the Duke Global Health Institute malaria laboratory.

During my research, I successfully helped develop a molecular assay in vitro detection level of malaria parasite infections and started and maintained a malaria parasite culture procedure.

I assertively led a team of ten, offering practical advice and resolutions whenever required.

Kansas State University - Manhattan, KS (July 2018 to March 2019)

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Kansas State University is a public research university with its main campus in Manhattan.

Besides continuing my postdoctoral research, I utilized my knowledge and experience in the laboratory to mentor students at the campus. I trained and supervised undergrad and graduate students on laboratory techniques such as Western Blot, ELISAs, PCR, qPCR, RT-PCR, cell culture and statistical analysis of data.

I successfully helmed efforts to discover sensitive biomarkers of malaria infection risk.

Conducted the epidemiological validation of novel biomarkers of malaria and arbovirus infection based on the study of the human response to mosquito salivary proteins

I was involved in grant and proposal writing.

National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - Bethesda, MD (April 2013 to March 2018)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research.

In a breakthrough, I discovered (Identified) the biomarkers of Loa loa infection in the serum/urine of human individuals. Consequently, I developed immunoassays for the in vitro detection and quantification of biomarkers of Loa loa infection in the serum and urine.

I conducted the proteomic analysis of excretory/secretory products of Loa loa parasite and urine and plasma of infected individuals with Loa loa in the aim to identify new biomarkers

I conducted several experiments, analyzed data, read articles and authored reports to develop molecular methods for the rapid and highthrouput detection and quantification of filarial nematode and malaria parasite DNA in blood or tissue material. I also evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of rapid tests (lateral flow assays) for in vitro diagnosis of filarial parasite infections.

I proactively researched the dynamics of malaria and filarial helminth parasites infections within human communities in the situation of polyparasitism using molecular tools.

Efficiently monitored and supervised two Postbaccalaureate students.

I distinguished myself in this position by consistently producing accurate data and results. Stellar presentation skills allowed me to explain the results during seminars or lab meetings.

French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development - Montpellier, France (Jan 2011 – Dec 2012)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow/Research Project Manager

The French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) is a science and technology establishment whose mission is to advance sustainable and human development through research.

I was involved in the study of immune responses to malaria mosquito vector salivary proteins in human populations using different vector control tools.

I led the validation of immune responses to malaria vector gSG6 protein as an epidemiological indicator of malaria vector control efficacy.

I spearheaded the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the impact of malaria vector control tools.

I productively coordinated and managed various project activities on malaria vector control research in Benin. I ably led teams of nurses, investigators, data entry and laboratory technicians on the field.

Conducted Education, Information and Communication campaigns to spread greater awareness on malaria control interventions.

I worked closely with the Beninese National Malaria Control Program to meet the project objectives.

PRIOR EMPLOYMENT DETAILS

University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Department of Biology - Dakar, Senegal Oct 2006 – June 2008

Teaching Assistant (Molecular Biology and Molecular Parasitology Courses for Undergraduate Students)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & CREDENTIALS

PhD in Biological Sciences and Human Pathologies

Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal 2007 – 2010

Masters of Sciences in Human and Animal Biology

Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal 2005 – 2007

Bachelor of Sciences in Natural Sciences (Life and Earth Sciences)

Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal 2001 – 2005

Certificates and Diplomas:

• Certificate in Clinical Proteomics and Biomarker Discovery, Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA August 2015

• University Diploma in Statistical Methods in Health, Bordeaux School of Public Health (ISPED), University of Bordeaux 2, France. September 2009 July 2010

• University Diploma in Methods & Practice in Epidemiology, Bordeaux School of Public Health, University of Bordeaux 2, France. October 2008 August 2009

Patents:

1. Nutman TB, Bennuru S, Drame PM. Compositions and methods for detecting Loa loa. April 2016. Patent application No. PCT/US2016/029673

2. Remoue F, Poinsignon A, Cornelie S, Drame PM, Doucoure S, Mouchet F, Rossignol M et Corbel V. “Méthodes pour évaluer l’efficacité de stratégie de lutte anti-vectorielle dans le contrôle du paludisme et des arboviroses.” January 2010. Patent application No. FR10/00172

Fellowship and Awards

NIH Fellowship for a postdoctoral research position on infectious diseases 2013

French “Infectiopole Sud” Foundation Fellowship for a postdoctoral position on malaria control 2011

Multilateral Initiative for Malaria (MIM) travel grant 2009

American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Travel Award 2008

French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development 3-years of PhD Scholarship 2007

Technical Skills: R software, Microsoft Office Suite, SAS, GraphPad prism, ELISA; Luminex; luciferase immunoprecipitation systems (LIPS); lateral flow assays; Electrophoresis 1D and 2D; western blot; SDS-PAGE; protein purification; antibody biotinylation. PCR, RT-PCR, qPCR, Loop-mediated isothermal amplification assays; cell transfection; DNA cloning; DNA purification. Culture of COS-1 and 293 mammalian cells, Microscopic identification methods of parasites (malaria and filarial parasites). Statistical analysis of data: Prism, R, JMP, Excel, Statview

Affiliations:

Member – American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) since 2013

Member – West African Society of Parasitology since 2008

Board member – The Solar Village Project since May 2015

Former Social Commission President of graduate students – Cheikh Anta Diop University (2005-2007)

Publications

1.Londono-Renteria B, Drame PM, Montiel J, Vasquez AM, Tobón-Castaño A, Taylor M, Vizcaino L, Lenhart AAE. Identification and Pilot Evaluation of Salivary Peptides from Anopheles albimanus as Biomarkers for Bite Exposure and Malaria Infection in Colombia. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jan 21;21(3):691.

2.Cardenas JC, Drame PM, Luque-Burgos KA, Berrio JD, Entrena-Mutis E, González MU, Carvajal DJ, Gutiérrez-Silva LY, Cardenas LD, Colpitts TM, Mores CN, Londono-Renteria B. IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies against Aedes aegypti salivary proteins and risk for dengue infections. PLoS One. 2019 Jan 2;14(1):e0208455.

3.Bennuru S, O’Connell EM, Drame PM, Nutman TB. Mining filarial genomes for new diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Trends in Parasitology 2018 Jan;34(1):80-90

4.Drame PM, Bennuru Sand Nutman TB. Discovery of specific antigens that can predict microfilarial intensity in Loa loa infection. J Clin Microbiol. 55 (9): 2671-2678

5.Marie A, Drame PM, Poinsignon A,, Noukpo H, Doucoure S, Cornelie S and Remoue R (2017). Immunoepidemiology for the evaluation of exposure to malaria vectors – Encyclodepia of Malaria, PG Kremsner, S. Krishna (Eds.). ISBN 978-1-4614-8325-0. Springer, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-8757-9_77-1

6.Pedram B, Pasquetto V, Drame PM, Ji Y, Gonzalez-Moa MJ, Baldwin R, Nutman TB, Biamonte M. 2017. A Novel Rapid Test for Detecting Antibody Responses to Loa loa Infections. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 27;11(7):e0005741

7.Noukpo MH, Damien GB, Elanga-N'Dille E, Sagna AB, Drame PM, Chaffa E, Boussari O, Corbel V, Akogbéto M, Remoue F, 2016. Operational Assessment of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets by Using an Anopheles Salivary Biomarker of Human-Vector Contact. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 7;95(6):1376-1382.

8.Drame PM, Montavon C, Pion SD, Kubofcik J, Fay M and Nutman TB. 2016. Molecular epidemiology of blood-borne human parasites in a Loa loa-, Mansonella perstans- and Plasmodium falciparum-endemic region of Cameroon. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 94 (6): 1301-1308

9.Drame PM, Meng Z, Bennuru S, Herrick J, Veenstra T and Nutman TB. 2016. The identification and validation of Loa loa microfilarial-specific biomarkers: a rational design approach using proteomics and novel immunoassays. MBio 2016 Feb 16;7(1)

10.Damien GB, Djènontin A, Chaffa E, Yamadjako S, Drame PM, Ndille EE, Henry MC, Corbel V, Remoué F and Rogier C. Effectiveness of long-lasting insecticide nets on uncomplicated clinical malaria: a case-control study for operational evaluation. Malar J. 2016 Feb 19;15(1):102

11.Doucoure S and Drame PM. Salivary Biomarkers in the Control of Mosquito-Borne Diseases. Insects 2015 Nov 17;6(4):961-76

12.Londono B, Drame PM, Weitzel T, Rosas R, Gripping C, Meshnick SR, Wesson DM, Poinsignon A, Cardenas C, Alvares M, Remoue F and Colpitts T. 2015. Evaluation of immune response against An. gambiae gSG6-P1 evaluating as a proxy for human-vector contact in the Americas: A pilot study. Parasites and Vectors 13;8:533

13.Drame PM, Poinsignon A, Dechavanne C, Sarr JB, Thiam D, Cottrell G, Farce M, Cerqueira D, Ladekpo R, Massougbodji A, Cornelie S, Courtin D, Migot-Nabias F, Garcia A & Remoue F. Acquisition, evolution & mother-to-child transfer of antibody response specific to gSG6-P1 peptide biomarker of malaria vector bites in Beninese infants. Malar J. 2015 Jul 22;14(1):285.

14.Doucoure S, Cornelie S, Drame PM, Marie A, Ndille EE, Mathieu-Daudé F, Mouchet F, Poinsignon A and Remoue R (2015). Biomarkers of Vector Bites: Arthropods Salivary Proteins in Vector-Borne Disease Control- General Methods in Biomarker Research and their Applications. Editors: Victor R Preedy and Vinood B. Patel. ISBN: 978-94-007-7740-8. Springer, DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7740-8_10-1

15.Marie A, Ronca R, Poinsignon A, Lombardo F, Drame PM, Cornelie S, Besnard P, Le Mire J, Fiorentino G, Fortes F, Carnevale P, Remoue F, Arcà B. The Anopheles gambiae cE5 salivary protein: a sensitive biomarker to evaluate the efficacy of insecticide-treated nets in malaria vector control. Microbes Infect. 2015, Jan 28. pii: S1286-4579(15)00015-5

16.Doucoure S, Mouchet F, Cornelie S, Drame PM, D’Ortenzio E, DeHecq JS & Remoue F. Human antibody response to Aedes albopictus salivary proteins as new biomarker to evaluate the efficacy of vector control in an area of chikungunya virus transmission. Biomed Res Int. 2014:746509

17.Drame PM, Fink DL, Kamgno J, Herrick JA, Nutman TB. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification for rapid and semiquantitative detection of Loa loa infection. J Clin Microbiol. 2014 Jun; 52(6):2071-7

18.Drame PM, Poinsignon A, Marie A, Noukpo H, Doucoure S, Cornelie S and Remoue R (2013). New Salivary Biomarkers of Human Exposure to Malaria Vector Bites, Anopheles mosquitoes - New insights into malaria vectors, Prof. Sylvie Manguin (Ed.), ISBN: 978-***-**-****-7, InTech, DOI: 10.5772/55613

19.Sagna AB, Sarr JB, Gaayeb L, Drame PM, NDiath MO, Senghor S, Sow C, Poinsignon A, Seck M, Schatcht AM, Faye N, Sokhna C, Remoue F & Riveau G. New salivary biomarker discriminates micro-geographical heterogeneity of human exposure to Anopheles bites in a low and seasonal malaria area. Parasit Vectors. 2013 Mar 15;6:68.

20.Drame P.M., Diallo A., Poinsignon A., Boussari O., Dos Santos S., Machault V., Lalou R., Cornelie S., Hesran J-Y. & Remoue F. 2013. Evaluation of the effectiveness of malaria vector control measures in urban settings of Dakar by a specific Anopheles salivary biomarker. PlosOne 5(12): e15596.

21.Elanga C.E., Doucoure S., Damien G., Mouchet F., Drame P.M., Cornelie S., Noukpo H., Yamadjako S., Djenontin A., Moiroux N., Missé D., Akogbeto M., Corbel V., Henry M-C., Chandre F., Baldet T. & Remoue F. First attempt to validate human IgG antibody response to Nterm-34kDa salivary peptide as biomarker for evaluating exposure to Aedes aegypti bites. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2012 Nov;6(11):e1905.

22.Brosseau L., Drame P.M., Besnard P., Toto J-C., Foumane V., Le Mire J., Mouchet F., Remoue F., Richard A., Fortes F., Carnevale P. & Manguin S. Human antibody response to Anopheles saliva for comparing the efficacy of three malaria vector control methods in Balombo, Angola. Plos One 7(9):e44189.

23.Drame PM, Machault V, Diallo A, Cornelie S, Poinsignon A, Sembene M, Lalou R, Dos-Santos S, Rogier C, Pages F, Hesran J-Y & Remoue F. IgG responses to the gSG6-P1 salivary peptide for evaluating human exposure to Anopheles bites in urban areas of Dakar region, Senegal. Malaria Journal 2012, 11:72

24.Drame PM, Poinsignon A, Besnard P, Le Mire J, Cornelie S, Foumane V, Toto JC, Sembène M, Boulanger D, Simondon, F Fortes F, Carnevale P & Remoue F. 2010. Human antibody (Ab) response to a peptide of Anopheles specific gSG6 salivary protein: a new epidemiological indicator evaluating the efficacy of Insecticides Treated Nets (ITNs). PlosOne 5 (12): e 15596.

25.Poinsignon A, Samb B, Doucoure S, Drame PM, Sarr JB, Sow C, Cornelie S, Maiga S, Thiam C, Rogerie F, Guindo S, Hermann E, Simondon F, Dia I, Riveau G, Konate L & Remoue F. 2010. A First attempt to validate the gSG6-P1 salivary peptide as an imuno-epidemiological tool for evaluating human exposure to An. funestus bites. Trop Med Int Health. 15(10) : 1198-203.

26.Drame PM, Poinsignon A., Besnard P, Le Mire J, Sow C, Dos-Santos MA, Cornelie S, Foumane V, Toto JC, Sembène M, Boulanger D, Simondon, F Fortes F, Carnevale P & Remoue F. 2010. Human antibody response to Anopheles gambiae saliva: an immuno-epidemiological marker to evaluate the efficacy of Insecticides Treated Nets in Malaria Vector Control. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 83 (1): 115-121.

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