Dr Wonderful Tatenda Choga is involved in the discovery of Omicron, a SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern in Botswana using research skills including viral sequencing and bioinformatics. He is fascinated by molecular and immune-virology both in vitro and in vivo experiments; bioinformatics –the evolution of viruses and mutation analysis–; human population genetics –GWAS and signatures of selection–; and dynamics host-pathogen interactions. He is an active Clinical/Medical researcher and has more than 25 peer-reviewed (authored and co-authored) scientific publications in reputable journals including Nature and Science.
Dr Choga has 5+ years of medical research experience and 3+ years in bioinformatics. Research interests include but are not limited to immune-virology, epitope-based vaccine design of different pathogens, molecular epidemiology and immune-informatics of viruses such as viral hepatitis (HBV, HCV, HPgV), HPV, HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Interests also include understanding evolution dynamics and signatures of selection in various populations and risk groups. he is an awardee of 2015, Merck-UNESCO: Best African Researchers’ Science Award (Geneva, Switzerland). He is also a recipient of Southern African Network of TB and HIV Research Excellency (SANTHE, a Wellcome Trust grant) Scholarship.
