Featured Researcher- Dr. Tindih Heshborne

Dr. Ir. Tindih S Heshborne, currently lectures at the Machakos University where he is also the Chair, Department of Biological Sciences at the School of Pure and Applied sciences.  He has a PhD degree in Bioscience engineering of Bovine immunological systems for the control of protozoan parasites (From Katholieke Universiteit Lueven (KULeuven) and Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine-Antwerpen-Belgium) & ILRI-Nairobi-Kenya. Besides he holds a Bachelor degree in Biochemistry & Chemistry from JKUAT-Kenya and Masters of Science in Molecular Biology focusing on animal health, production and drugs prophylaxis-Vrije Universiteit Brussels, VUB).

He is also an alumnus of International Livestock Research Institute, ILRI-Nairobi-Kenya where as a Post-doc Scientist he participated in viral research and developed a thermostable PPR viral vaccine currently being deployed in Western parts of Uganda. He has also worked with the European Union, IGAD and Terra Nouva in the establishment and nurturing of the Sheikh Technical Veterinary School (STVS, Sheikh-Somaliland) where apart from offering lectures he launched the research agenda on the Ticks and Tick borne diseases at the Horn of Africa as well as establishing the Trans-boundary reference laboratory centre which is currently involved in a number of research activities.  

He is an experienced science based project manager and  has been involved in the in the deployment of vaccines and scientific technologies  across remote parts of Africa including South Sudan, Somalia, Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, DRC, Rwanda and Burundi. Recently while working with Global Alliance on Livestock Veterinary Medicine/African Union – Center for Ticks and Tick borne diseases he set up the research and development agenda on vaccines, developed and nurtured good vaccines manufacturing practices (GVMP), improved vaccine quality control processes, helped in negotiations of vaccine deployment policies across sub-Saharan Africa  and helped develop the vaccine market for Africa.

His current research interests cut across the immunological analysis of vaccine and drugs molecular candidates in Covid-19, Snake-venom, Malaria and Cancer.

He is an awardee of the International Centre on Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) 2020 special COVID-19 grant where he is currently analyzing SARS CoV-2 presence in wild/animal species, antibody cross reactivity and their binding affinities.

He is also an awardee of the 2021 Machakos University Internal Research grant where he is analyzing SARS CoV-2 antibody binding affinities and Kinetics in human infections as a precursor to determining the disease outcome.