Global WACh

Maureen Ndalama

Maureen Ndalama is a dedicated pharmacist with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Kamuzu College of Health Sciences, Malawi, where she established a strong foundation in pharmaceutical sciences, medication management, and patient care. Her undergraduate education equipped her with the essential knowledge and skills needed to make a meaningful contribution to the healthcare system, particularly in enhancing patient outcomes through the safe and appropriate use of medicines.

Driven by a passion for research and evidence-based medicine, Maureen pursued a master’s degree in clinical Trials at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. During this program, she immersed herself in the intricacies of clinical research methodologies, ethical considerations, and regulatory compliance. This advanced degree provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the entire clinical trial process, from study design to data analysis and interpretation. She gained invaluable experience in managing clinical trials, with a keen focus on ensuring patient safety. In 2018, Maureen joined the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Program as a Clinical Trial Pharmacist, further honing her expertise in clinical trials, quality assurance, and clinical research. In this role, she actively contributed to several significant studies, including:

  1. Phase III Randomized Controlled Trial of a Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (Vi-TCV): This study aimed to determine the efficacy of Vi-TCV in reducing S. Typhi infection rates among children aged 9 months through 12 years, compared to those who received Meningococcal A Conjugate Vaccine (MCV-A).
  2. Phase 2A Randomized Evaluation of Clofazimine (CFZ) in Cryptosporidiosis: This investigation focused on evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of CFZ in reducing Cryptosporidium fecal shedding in HIV-infected adults with diarrhea and Cryptosporidium infection.
  3. Antibiotic Treatment of Childhood Diarrhea in Low-Resource Settings to Reduce Diarrhea-Related Mortality (ABCD):This study involved comparing mortality rates within 180 days following an episode of high-risk diarrhea among children aged 2-23 months.

Maureen’s career trajectory is guided by a strong interest in pharmacometrics, an interdisciplinary field that intersects pharmacology, mathematics, and computer science. With a vision to improve drug development and optimization, she is determined to pursue a Ph.D. in Pharmacometrics. She has a strong interest in gastrointestinal infections and vaccines and she believes this advanced degree will enable her to explore medicines used in the prevention and treatment of diarrheal diseases including vaccines. Maureen’s goal is to translate complex pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data into clinically meaningful insights. By doing so, she aims to enhance the design and efficiency of clinical trials, leading to the development of more effective and safer medications for gastrointestinal infections. She firmly believes that receiving the Rising Star Seed Award will benefit her academic training and enhance my CV, thereby strengthening her future scholarship applications for doctoral studies.