Reframing cancer research in Africa
CIVIS meets The African Cancer Immunology and Infection Initiative (TACII)
Organised by the CIVIS Hub Health Council
Moderated by Professor Faith Osier, Imperial College London
TACII is a newly established pan-African Cancer and Infection Initiative dedicated to advancing research at the intersection of cancer, infection, immunology and microbiome. CIVIS is a European University alliance with six African member institutions and a strong profile in Health education and research. The webinar introduces TACII to the CIVIS Health community and provides room for discussing the initiative’s approach as well as related developments in cancer research and training at CIVIS universities. The event thus aims at exploring joint research interests and collaboration potentials between TACII and CIVIS members.
The African Cancer Immunology and Infection Initiative (TACII)
The burden of cancer in Africa is an increasing public health challenge, with incidence and mortality expected to rise sharply reaching over two million new cases and one million deaths per year by 2040. The most common cancers include those of the breast, cervix, prostate, colorectum and liver. Diagnosis is often delayed due to the limited infrastructure for screening, restricted access to pathology services and high healthcare costs, resulting in approximately 80% of patients presenting with late-stage disease. At the same time, Africa accounts for a disproportionate burden of infectious disease with profound consequences on societal wellbeing and economic development.
The cancer landscape in Africa is unique for a number of reasons. First, a substantial proportion of cancers are linked to viral infections like Human Papilloma Virus, Hepatitis B and C, Epstein Barr Virus and HIV that are more prevalent in the continent than elsewhere. In parallel, lifestyle-related cancers become more common. Second, widespread exposure to bacterial, parasitic and other co-infections results in chronic immune activation, dysregulation, and exhaustion potentially influencing the tumors and their evolution within the tumor microenvironment, thereby affecting treatment responses. Additional factors include the high degree of human genetic diversity in Africa leading to variability in immune responses, and the uniqueness of the African microbiome.
TACII is a newly established pan-African Cancer and Infection Initiative dedicated to advancing research at the intersection of cancer, infection, immunology and microbiome. It brings together representatives from the five World Health Organization regions of the continent and is led by African scientists in collaboration with international partners. We aim to build multi-disciplinary, sustainable and equitable research frameworks for cancer and infection immunology research in Africa, strengthen scientific capacity and align with national, regional and continental initiatives. Ultimately, TACII aims to translate research findings into much-needed, affordable and accessible treatment strategies across Africa.
Session plan
- 9:00 – 9:05
Introduction (Prof. Luciano Saso (Co-Chair of the CIVIS Hub Health Council, Sapienza University of Rome) - 9:05 – 9:45
Reframing cancer research in Africa through immunology, infection, and the microbiome - The African Cancer Immunology and Infection Initiative – TACII (Prof. Abdallah Badou, Université Hassan II de Casablanca / Prof. Barbara Seliger, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, University of Halle / Prof. Faith Osier, Imperial College London) - 9:45-10:00
Q&A - 10:00-10:20
Inputs from the CIVIS Health Community (Speakers tba) - 10:20-10:30
Q&A - 10:30-10:55
Plenary discussion: Exploring joint research interests and collaboration potentials - 10:55-11:00
Wrap-up and closing remarks
Speakers
| Professor Abdallah BADOU, PhD
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Dr. Badou completed his PhD in Immunology in 1998 at Paul Sabatier University (Toulouse, France). Afterwards, he joined the Immunobiology department at Yale University School of Medicine (Connecticut, USA) from 1999 to 2007, as a post-doc then as an associate research scientist. In 2007, He joined Cadi Ayad University in Morocco as an assistant then qualified professor. Since 2014, Dr. Badou has been affiliated to the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, where he was promoted to full professor in 2018. From January 2023 to February 2024, he was affiliated to Mohammed VI Center for Research and Innovation as Scientific Director then as General Director. His research topics are related to the study of the tumor microenvironment mainly in breast cancer and gliomas. Dr. Badou is serving in the editorial board of several international journals.
| Professor Barbara SELIGER
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Prof. Seliger has currently more than 370 publications, has won several national and international awards and is a reviewer for national and international research projects, publications and for the Science Council as well as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Immunotherapy in Cancer (JITC), OncoImmunology and Journal of Translational Medicine (JTM). She cooperates next to many others with world-known institutions, such as e.g., the Hadassah University (Jerusalem), the Weizman Institute (Rehovot), Inserm (Paris), O'Cornell University (New York), Fox Chase (Philadelphia), Cedars Sinai Medical School (Los Angeles), Harvard University (Boston), the Karolinska Institute (Stockholm) and the Champaulimaud.Fondation Lissabon).
| Professor Faith OSIER
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Professor Osier‘s core expertise is in malaria where she believes we can “Make Malaria History” through vaccination. Her research covers basic science to better understand immune mechanisms, product development and vaccine manufacturing in Africa. She previously worked as the Executive Director of IAVIs Human Immunology Laboratory, translating scientific discoveries into global health impact. She also led scientific teams in Kenya and Germany that focused on creating highly effective malaria vaccines through vaccine candidate discovery, identifying immune correlates of protection, and unravelling immune mechanisms. She is Past President of the International Union of Immunological Societies (> 60,000 members globally) – the first African and only second woman in this role. She has won multiple prestigious prizes including the Royal Society Pfizer, the Sofja Kovalevskaja and the UKRIMRC/DFID African Research Leader Awards. She was honored with the prestigious British Society of Immunology Honorary Lifetime Membership Award in 2022. She is a TED Fellow, EMBO Member, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, UK (FMedSci), the African Academy of Sciences (FAAS), and The World Academy of Sciences (FTWAS). She serves on Boards and Expert Committees at the WHO, Wellcome & UKRI, and has a global footprint as a keynote & motivational speaker.
TACII Consortium Members
Barbara Seliger1,*, Doudou G. M. Niang 2, Ghita Zaz3, Tomabu Adjobimey4, Asma Gati5, Babacar Mbengue2, Moustapha Mbow2, Lucy Ochola6, Sayeh Ezzikouri7, David Jarvis8, Denise P. M. Mboumba9, Marielle B. Akotet 9, Clive M. Gray10, Mustapha Lkhider11,13, Faith Osier12,*, and Abdallah Badou11,13,*.
- Halle University, Germany
- Immunology Unit, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Senegal
- Delta Lab, ENSAM of Casablanca, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco
- University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin
- Laboratory of Genetics Immunology and Human Pathology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis EL Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
- Kenya Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi, Kenya
- Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco
- National University of Lesotho, Lesotho
- Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon
- Biomedical Research Institute and Division of Immunology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
- Immunogenetics and human pathology laboratory, Faculty of medicine and pharmacy, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, UK
- City of innovation and technology transfer, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco
Cancer, Infection, Immunology and Microbiome topics of interest
- Tumour microenvironments
- Microbial pathogens and cancer: viral, parasitic, bacterial, fungal
- Immunotherapy
- Artificial Intelligence: imaging, disease detection, telemedicine
- Biomarkers
- Translational research
- Immunogenetics
- Breast, prostate, cervical, liver cancers and more
- Comorbidities including non-communicable diseases
- Links to African National Cancer Registries