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Dr. Eric Makuto Ndombi

Senior Lecturer/Chairperson of department, Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology

Home School of Health Sciences Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology Dr. Eric Makuto Ndombi

Dr. Eric Makuto Ndombi

Senior Lecturer/Chairperson of department, Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology

Administrative Position
Chairman, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Health Sciences, Kenyatta University (April 2024-); Member, Kenyatta University Endowment and Alumni Programmes Board; Coordinator, Research, Innovation and Product Development Board, department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology (Jan 2024-April 2024); Departmental Examination coordinator, department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Kenyatta University (2014-2019); Examination Coordinator, School of medicine, Kenyatta University (2019-2023); Better Evidence for Training, UpToDate Champion for Kenyatta University Medical School; Member, School of Health Sciences Programmes Committee

Research Interests

Immunology

Academic Qualifications

2021-2022: MERCK Schistosomiasis Research Grant Initiative Project Title: Molecular Surveillance of Praziquantel Resistance Role: Principal Investigator (PI) Collaborations: Kenya Medical Research Institute, Texas Biomedical Research Institute Overall Goal: The objectives of this study will be to (i) screen for TRPM-PZQ sequence variation in field collected schistosome populations in Western Kenya, and (ii) identify potential key mutation(s) in TRPM-PZQ gene which might play a role in PZQ treatment failure in ‘persistent hotspots’, Kenyan high schistosome transmission area. Grant Value: EURO 30,000
2021-2026: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases-National Institute of Health (NIAID-NIH) Award number: 1R01AI160433-01 Project Title: Characterisation of drug resistance in field-collected schistosomes Role: Principal Investigator (PI) Collaborations: Kenya Medical Research Institute, Texas Biomedical Research Institute Overall goal: The objective of this five-year research study is to investigate praziquantel drug resistance in field collected schistosome parasites in order to understand mode of action of the drugs, and mechanism of resistance. We also hope to establish a novel platform for investigating phenotypic and genotypic variation in schistosome responses to anti-schistosomal compounds under development. Value of award: US$ 785,622
2021-2022: National Research Fund (NRF) South Africa Covid-19 Africa Rapid Grant Fund Project Title: Uptake of Preventive Measures, Sero-Surveillance and Complementary Management of Covid-19 in Kenya. PI: Professor Paul Okemo Role: Co-Investigator Value of award: US$ 100,000
2016-2021: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Research grant Timothy Anderson (PI) Project Title: Genetic basis of praziquantel resistance Overall goal: The objective of this preliminary study was to establish unique platform that can be used to study genetic basis of drug resistance in schistosome parasites in order to understand mode of action of the drugs, and mechanism of resistance. Role: Collaborator and Field-coordinator
2013-2015: National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) , Kenya PhD Research Grant Eric M. Ndombi (PI) Overall Goal: To understand the effect of treatment of Schistosoma mansoni infection with praziquantel on immune correlates of protection against reinfection. This study was conducted in school children at a time of massive roll out of mass praziquantel treatment programs in regions endemic for schistosomiasis for control of morbidity

Refereed Journal Articles

  1. Claudia M. Rohr, Sang-Kyu Park, Kelsilandia Aguiar-Martins, Timothy J.C. Anderson, Duncan J. Berger, Matthew Berriman, Sarah K. Buddenborg, Amaya L. Bustinduy, Frédéric D. Chevalier, James A. Cotton, Thomas Crellen, Stephen R. Doyle, Aidan M. Emery, Julien Kincaid Smith, Safari Kinung'hi, Poppy H.L. Lamberton, Winka Le Clec'h, Eric Ndombi , Tom Pennance, Candia Rowel, Shannan S. Summers, John Vianney Tushabe, Martin Walker, Bonnie L. Webster, Joanne P. Webster, Shona Wilson, Jonathan S. Marchant. TRPtracker: a community database for monitoring praziquantel sensitivity at TRPMPZQ variants. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist. 2026 April. 30. 100639. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpddr.2026.100639.
  2. Olilah P, Oguso J, Okinyo A, Le Clec'h W, Chevalier FD, Musembi S, Anderson T, Ndombi EM . Long-term persistence of Schistosoma mansoni hotspots in western Kenya despite ongoing mass drug administration. Curr Res Parasitol Vector Borne Dis. 2026 Jan 5;9:100349. doi: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2026.100349. PMID: 41568358;
  3. Osman R, Ndombi E , Gitahi M, Njuguna A, Phiri M, Mekasha A, Cunliffe N, Msefula C, Jere KC, Asrat D, Kamwethya S, Wasilwa M, Jepchirchir J, Nyirenda D, Ongadi B, Otieno P, Mwendera C, Kering K, Mbae C, Kariuki S; GHRG-GI Consortium. Caregiver dynamics and factors affecting health-seeking behaviors for childhood diarrhea in Mukuru informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Front Public Health. 2025 Nov 21;13:1670985. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1670985. PMID: 41358228; PMCID: PMC12679879.
  4. Otindo AM., Ndombi E.M ., Theuri M., Muturi M., Thamaini P., Ogutu J.O., Onsongo L., Madete J., Ofula V., Gitau S., Mwangi G. & Okemo P. (2024). Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM, and IgG and COVID-19 vaccine uptake in healthy volunteers in Nairobi, Kenya: A cross-sectional study. Front. Virol. Sec. Virus and Host Immunity. Volume 4 - 2024 doi: 10.3389/fviro.2024.1479645
  5. Theuri M, Ndombi EM , Thamaini P, Ogutu JO, Onsongo L, Madete JK, Ofula V, Gitau S, Mwangi G, Okemo P. 2024. Clinical characteristics, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers, and inflammatory markers in individuals with post-COVID-19 condition in Kenya: a cross-sectional study. PeerJ 12:e17723 DOI 10.7717/peerj.17723
  6. Lugonzo, G.O., Njeru, E., Songock, W., Okumu, A.A., Ndombi, E.M . Epidemiology of multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis in the western region of Kenya[J]. AIMS Microbiology, 2024, 10(2): 273-287. doi: 10.3934/microbiol.2024014
  7. Mulakoli, F., Gachara, G., Ndombi, E ., & Khamadi. S. (2024). Prevalence of Dengue virus among healthy blood donors in Mombasa County, Kenya. PAMJ-OH. 13:6. 10.11604/pamj-oh.2024.13.6.42602
  8. Ombeni, A., Kanoi, B.N., Kamath, S., Shiluli, C., Ndombi, E.M ., Odiere, M., Nyanjom, S.G., Misinzo, G., Raju, S.L., Ochola, L., Gitaka, J. (2024). Development of a Rapid and Highly Sensitive Nucleic Acid-Based Diagnostic Test for Schistosomes, leveraging on Identical Multi-Repeat Sequences (IMRS). Front. Parasitol. Sec. Parasite Diagnostics. 3 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpara.2024.1361493
  9. Wambua, R. T., Onsongo, L. N., & Ndombi, E. M . (2023). Determinants of male involvement in partner’s cervical cancer screening in Makueni County, Kenya. Int J Community Med Public Health, 10(10), 3421–3429. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20232838
  10. Okinyo AO, Okeyo I, Oguya F, Olila P, Mbata M, Ndombi E , Muok EO. (20230. Prevalence and Intensity of Schistosomiasis in Endemic Parts of Siaya County after Mass Deworming With Praziquantel; Understanding Community Perception on the Associated Factors. Int J Biomed Res Prac. 3(1); 1-5.
  11. Schlosser-Brandenburg J, Midha A, Mugo RM, Ndombi EM , Gachara G, Njomo D, Rausch S and Hartmann S (2023) Infection with soil-transmitted helminths and their impact on coinfections. Front. Parasitol. 2:1197956. doi: 10.3389/fpara.2023.1197956
  12. Mulakoli, F., Gachara, G., Ndombi, E ., & Khamadi, S. (2023). Dengue Virus Surveillance and Blood Safety: A One Health Perspective. IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.109413
  13. Fidelis Toloyi Ndombera, Juliet Elusah, Eric Ndombi . (2020) Revisiting Cheminformatics and Mechanisms of Action of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine in Targeting Covid-19. J Bioinfo Comp Genom 3:1-11.
  14. Abudho BO, Guyah B, Ondigo BN, Ndombi EM , Ireri E, Carter JM, Riner DK, Kittur N, Karanja DMS, Colley DG. Evaluation of morbidity in Schistosoma mansoni-positive primary and secondary school children after four years of mass drug administration of praziquantel in western Kenya. Infect Dis Poverty. 2020 Jun 15;9(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s40249-020-00690-7. PubMed PMID: 32539826
  15. Harrison K. Korir, Diana K. Riner, Emmy Kavere, Amos Omondi, Jasmine Landry, Nupur Kittur, Eric M. Ndombi , Bartholomew N. Ondigo, W. Evan Secor, Diana M. S. Karanja and Daniel G. Colley. Young Adults in Endemic Areas: An Untreated Group in Need of School-Based Preventive Chemotherapy for Schistosomiasis Control and Elimination. Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2018, 3, 100; doi:10.3390/tropicalmed3030100
  16. Bartholomew N. Ondigo, Erick M. O. Muok1, John K. Oguso, Sammy M. Njenga, Henry M. Kanyi, Eric M. Ndombi, Jeffrey W. Priest, Nupur Kittur, William Evan Secor, Diana M. S. Karanja and Daniel G. Colley. Impact of Mothers’ Schistosomiasis Status During Gestation on Children’s IgG Antibody Responses to Routine Vaccines 2 Years Later and Anti-Schistosome and Anti-Malarial Responses by Neonates in Western Kenya. Front. Immunol., 18 June 2018. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.01402
  17. Bernard O. Abudho, Eric M. Ndombi, Bernard Guya, Jennifer M. Carter, Diana K. Riner, Nupur Kittur, Diana M. S.Karanja, W. Evan Secor and Daniel G.Colley. Impact of Four Years of Annual Mass Drug Administration on Prevalence and Intensity of Schistosomiasis among Primary and High School Children in Western Kenya: A Repeated Cross-sectional Study. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2018.17-0908. Doi:10.4269/ajtmh
  18. Eric M. Ndombi , Bernard Abudho, Nupur Kittur, Harrison Korir, Diana K. Riner, W. Evan Secor, Diana Karanja and Daniel G. Colley; Effect of Rour Rounds of Annual School-Wide Mass Praziquantel Treatment for Schistosoma Mansoni Control on Schistosome-Specific Immune Responses. Parasite Immunol. 31 March 2018. https://doi.org/10.1111/pim.12530
  19. Bartholomew N. Ondigo, Eric M. Ndombi , Sarah C. Nicholson, John K. Oguso, Jennifer M. Carter, Nupur Kittur, W. Evan Secor, Diana M.S. Karanja and Daniel G. Colley. Functional studies of T regulatory lymphocytes in human schistosomiasis in western Kenya. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 98:6, Jun 2018, 1770 – 1781. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.17-0966
  20. Diana K. Riner, Eric M. Ndombi , Jennifer M. Carter, Amos Omondi, Nupur Kittur, Emmy Kavere, Harrison K. Korir, Briana Flaherty, Diana Karanja, Daniel G. Colley; Schistosoma mansoni infection can jeopardize the duration of protective levels of antibody responses to immunizations against hepatitis B and tetanus toxoid. PLOS NTDs 2016. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0005180
  21. Eric M. Ndombi , Budambula Valentine, Mark W. Kilongosi, Francis O. Musumba, Joseph Karanja, Jesca O. Wesongah, Samwel A. Bonuke, Aabid A Ahmed, Raphael Lihana, and Tom Were; Plasma Adiponectin Levels in Hepatitis C and HIV-1 Mono- and Co-Infected Antiretroviral Treatment Naive and Exposed Injection Drug Users from Coastal Kenya. Endocrine connections journal 2015. doi: 10.1530/EC-15-0071

Conference Papers

  1. Joan Kaburia Ntinyari: Master of Science in Environmental Health.
  2. George Odongo: Master of Science (Microbiology)-Kenyatta University

Professional Affiliations

  • American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Mid-Career Fellowship (2024-2025)
  • Associate Faculty member, Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2024-)
  • Member, Biochemistry and Biotechnology Professionals society of Kenya (BBPSK)
  • Kenya Medical Research Institute-University of Georgia, Athens collaboration: Post-doctoral fellowship (2015-2017)
  • American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene: Member (2020-)
  • Africa Research Excellence Fund: Towards Leadership program award recipient (2022-2023)
  • Member, Biochemistry and Biotechnology Professionals society of Kenya (BBPSK) (2024-