Placide Mbala Kingebeni is an Associate Professor at the University of Kinshasa, School of Medicine; he is the Head of the Epidemiology and Global Health Division and Director of the Clinical Research Center at the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB in French) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Dr. Mbala has extensive experience in medical biology, with specific training and expertise in microbiology, virology, and outbreak investigations. His research focuses on viral zoonoses with risk factors for human contamination. As PI and co-investigator for several university and US-funded grants, Dr. Mbala laid the groundwork for his research projects in very remote areas of the DRC where most outbreaks occur. He contributed to several study projects, such as clinical characterization of human mpox infection in the DRC, molecular identification, and characterization of novel simian T cell lymphotropic viruses in DRC nonhuman primate bush meat, investigations, and characterization zoonotic pathogens such as Ebola, monkeypox, etc. and was actively involved in the investigation of the pandemic covid-19 and all Ebola outbreaks occurring in the DRC since 2014 for the coordination of laboratory activities (PCR, sequencing, serology, hematology, and biochemistry) for diagnostic and follow-up of patients. Most of Dr. Mbala’s research has been shared in the form of oral presentations, abstracts, and posters at several international meetings in the United States, Europe and the DRC.
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