Affiliateship: 2022-2026
Cohort 7
Country (Nationality)
Cameroon
Discipline
Medical & Health Sciences
Bio
Dr Luria Leslie Founou is microbiologist researcher with over 7 years’ experience on antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases. She holds a PhD in pharmaceutical microbiology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is currently the head of research within the Research Institute of the Centre of Expertise and Biological Diagnostic of Cameroon and serves as advisory member for the World Health Organization Foodborne Diseases Epidemiology Reference Group.
She worked considerably on antibiotic resistance in the food chain and made significant contributions in this area. She forms part of a critical mass of African women scientists with knowledge and skills in the molecular epidemiology of antibiotic resistance and food safety, generating evidence to optimally quantify, prevent and contain antibiotic resistance while ensuring safe food and safeguarding life of billions. Luria is guided by the belief that every woman giving birth deserves the right to see her child grow and similarly, each child deserves the right to live and to have a healthy life. Reducing maternal and child mortality is at the heart of her current research activities that focus on Group B Streptococcus, ESBL-Enterobacterales, MRSA, and other pathogens threatening mother and child health. She is using state-of-art technologies such as whole genome sequencing, CRISPRCas biotechnology, microfluidics and machine learning through the One Health approach to develop innovative prevention measures and diagnostic tools of neonatal infections.
She is aSTEM advocate and empower youth, especially young women to pursue research career in STEM fields.Luria is an awardee of numerous fellowship and grants such as the Cambridge Africa Alborada Scheme 2020, RSTMH Small Grant Award 2021 and Thrasher Early Career Award 2022 among others.