Dr George Githinji
Contact information
Research groups
George Githinji
Postdoctoral research scientist
I hold a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science and technology and a PhD from the Open University (UK) in collaboration with KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme. During my PhD programme, I investigated the extent of sequence and epitope diversity from a short region of the PfEMP1 molecule that is associated with characteristic expression patterns in severe and non-severe malaria cases. Thereafter I joined the Virus Epidemiology and Control Group lead by Prof James Nokes as an early career postdoctoral fellow with funding support from IDeAL. At VEC group, I utilise computational approaches to study RSV virus diversity and transmission patterns during outbreaks. I am interested in virus epidemiology, transmission and evolution and in developing computational methods for processing large-scale genomic data and exploring biological sequence diversity.
Recent publications
Global approaches to infectious disease surveillance and modeling.
Journal article
Khurana MP. et al, (2026), Nature medicine, 32, 1646 - 1660
Eight coding-complete genomes of human metapneumovirus recovered by virus metagenomics in coastal Kenya, 2021-2024.
Journal article
Mwasya SK. et al, (2026), Microbiology resource announcements, 15
Longitudinal Epidemiology and Variant Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in Coastal Kenya (2020–2025): Clinical Features and Wave Patterns
Journal article
Lambisia AW. et al, (2026), Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 13
Cholera in Kenya: A scoping review of current research, evidence gaps and future directions.
Journal article
Wamae K. et al, (2026), PLOS global public health, 6
The genome sequence of varicella-zoster virus (Varicellovirus humanalpha3) obtained by metagenomics from a patient presenting with an exanthem rash.
Journal article
Musundi S. et al, (2025), Microbiology resource announcements, 14