SHORT RESUME
Jim Ayukekbong, BMLS, MSc, PhD, CIC
EDUCATION
PhD in Medical Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, 2013, Major: Viral Epidemiology
MSc in Biomedicine, University of Skovde, Sweden, 2009, Major: Virology
MSc in Molecular Biology, University of Skovde, Sweden, 2008, Major: Molecular Microbiology
BSc in Medical Laboratory Science, University of Buea, Cameroon, 2003, Major: Microbiology
Certification in Infection Prevention and Control (CIC)
THESIS
2014: Postdoctoral project: Dynamics of circulation and epidemiology of human enteric viruses
2013: PhD. Medical science thesis: Molecular epidemiology of human enteric/respiratory viruses
2009: MSc. Biomedicine thesis: Divergence and recombination of HIV isolates from Cameroon
2008:MSc. Molecular Biology thesis: Recombinant processing of human Interleukin-6 into segments for native chemical ligation
2003: BSc. Medical Laboratory Science thesis: Prevalence of malaria and anaemia among
pregnant women of the Yaounde Central District, Cameroon
AWARDS
2017: Ebola outbreak response support recognition, INRB, DRC.
2013: Knut and Alice Wallenberg award for excellence in doctoral research, University of Göteborg
2013: Adlerbert Foreign Student Hospitality Foundation for the academic year 2012/2013, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
2009-2010: Sahlgrenska academy award for research assistantship, Sweden.
2009: Scholarship award from Rotary club Skövde, Sweden for studies on HIV genetics.
2008: Marie Curie scholarship for Master thesis project at the University of Bayreuth, Germany.
2002: University of Buea, Cameroon award for academic excellence.
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TALKS
Talk on the evolution of COVID-19 ( Omicron): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAhT5vetdmU&ab_channel=KTProgram
Talk on the impact of COVID-19 in long-term care: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm1VF3q-KLw
Talk on Assisting the government of DRC during outbreaks, Presented at the USAID PREDICT meeting in Brussels, Belgium https://twitter.com/OneHealthUCD/status/951526965361520640
Shaw TV show interview in Vancouver Island on Epidemiology and outbreak response; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqp9dUsw9kQ&t=16s
EDITOR ASIGNMENTS
Editor-in-Chief, Canadian Journal of Infection Control; Jan 2021 - Present
Guest Editor, Canada Journal of Infectious Disease & Medical Microbiology; Jan 2017 - Dec 2020
Editorial board member, International Journal of Virology and Aids; Jan 2013 – Dec 2018
SCIENTIFIC REVIEWER
Serves as a reviewer to several journals, namely:
PLOS One
Lancet
Epidemiology & Infection
Virus Research
Scientific Report
British Medical Journal, Journal of Virology
World Journal of Infectious disease
TEACHING AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Vice Presient, Infection prevention and control, Southbridge, Canada; June 2020 – Present
Presenter IPAC Canada; January 2021 – Present
Regional Director, Emerging Pandemic Threat Project, USAID; Aug 2016 – May 2018
Adjunct professor Algonquin College Ottawa, Canada; June 2015 – May 2022
Visiting lectiurer Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, Canada, 2017
Teaching and research associate, University of Montreal Canada; Aug 2015 – July 2016
Postdoc University of Gotheburg, Sweden; June 2013 - July 2015
Doctoral research fellow and teaching University of Gotheburg, Sweden; May 2010 – June 2013
LIST OF ORAL PRESENTATIONS DONE AT NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS
2024, Antimicrobial Sensitivity Testing and Antimicrobial Stewardship, ICAN Africa
2023, Research, manuscript writing and scientific publication, IPAC Canada Chapters
2022, COVID-19 outbreaks in Ontario Long-Term Care Homes; Gap and opportunities, Rotary Club, Barrie, Canada.
2022, IPAC strategies in Long-term Care moving forward Wellnes Hub, Toronto, Canada.
2022, IPAC and Vaccination strategies against COVID-19 in Long-Term care Homes, Wellnes Hub, Toronto, Canada.
2022, Infection control directive and COVID-19 vaccination mandates in long-term care, Healthcare Excellence of Canada LTC+ Canada.
2020, COVID-19 outbreaks in Long-Term Care Homes, lesson learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and future perspective, Healthcare Excellence of Canada LTC+ Canada.
2018, Building capacity for outbreak surveillance and utilizing the One-health network, USAID-PREDICT, Brussels, Belgium, January, 2018
2016, Causes and control of antimicrobial resistance in developing countries, University of Montreal, Canada, February 2016.
2015, the 2014-2015 Ebola saga, lessons for the future, University of Buea science symposium, keynote, December 2015.
2014: The new enterovirus A-119, presented at the Europic Picornavirus conference in Belgium, March 2014.
2013: Monitoring of seasonality of norovirus and other enteric viruses in Cameroon, presented at the Swedish society of virologist annual conference, Smögen August 22-25, 2013.
2013: Polio and non-polio enterovirus recombination and the evolution of neurotropic enteroviruses. keystone Symposium on RNA viruses, Boston, USA, April 2013
2012: Asymptomatic norovirus infection in Cameroon, presented at Noro2012 conference in Lubeck Germany, March 2012.
2010: Genetic diversity and quasi species of HIV 1 isolates from Cameroon, presented at international conference on bioinformatics & epidemiology, Rockville, USA, April 2010.
LIST OF POSTER PRESENTATIONS AT NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS
2023: Scientific publication with the Canadian Journal of Infection Control
2015: The etiologic agents of diarrhea in developing countries. Swedish society of virologist annual conference, Smögen August 25-28, 2015.
2014: Molecular characterization and epidemiology of non-polio enteroviruses in Cameroon, Picornavirus conference in Belgium, March 2014.
2013: Molecular epidemiology of rotavirus in Cameroon after the introduction of rotavirus vaccine, Swedish society of virologist annual conference, Smögen August 22-25, 2013.
2012: Impact of Vaccination of the molecular epidemiology of rotavirus in Cameroon and factors affecting vaccine efficacy, Conference on RNA virus evolution, Roscoff, France, April, 2012.
2012: Evidence of air-borne spread of norovirus in hospital wards. Noro2012 conference in Lubeck, German, March 2012.
2011: Molecular characterization and genetic susceptibility of norovirus in children with diarrhea in Cameroon, Swedish society of virologist annual conference, Smögen August 19-22, 2011.
2010: Fecal virome of asymptomatic children in Cameroon without diarrhea includes rare norovirus strains, Workshop on virus evolution and molecular epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, USA, April 2010.
PUBLICATIONS
BOOKS
1. Author of Epidemiology of human enteric viruses in Cameroon. Published by LAMBERT Academic publishing, Germany (ISBN: 978-3-659-24111-6).
2. Infection prevention and control guide for healthcare professionals. (ISBN: 978 0 359 84375 6).
SELECTED PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES
1. Ayukekbong J. The use of dogs for diagnosis of infectious diseases; an emerging diagnostic option. Can J Infect Control 2024; 38(4):175-177.
2. Ayukekbong J. The transition of COVID-19 from a pandemic to an endemic disease. Can J Infect Control 2023; 38(1):16-17.
3. Ayukekbong J. The next push in the prevention of COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care in Canada. Can J Infect Control 2022; 37(3):121-122..
4. Ayukekbong J. The use of N95 respirators in long-term care settings for the care of residents infected with COVID-19. Can J Infect Control 2022;36(3):122-144.
5. Kumakamba C, Niama FR, Muyembe F, J Ayukekbong, Mombouli J-V, Kingebeni PM, Nina RA, et al. (2021) Coronavirus surveillance in wildlife from two Congo basin countries detects RNA of multiple species circulating in bats and rodents. PLoS ONE 16(6): e0236971. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236971.
6. Ipos Ngay Lukusa, Jean-Michel Takuo, Ubald Tamoufe, Amethyst Gillis, Matthew LeBreton, James Ayukekbong, Damien O. Joly, Brad S. Schneider Corina Monagin, Maria Makuwa, Nathan D. Wolf, Edward M. Rubin, Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, Christian E. Lange. (2021). Enterovirus sequence data obtained from primate samples in Central Africa suggest a high prevalence of enteroviruses with possible zoonotic potential. In Press.
7. Ayukekbong J. Specimen testing strategy and the challenge in respiratory and enteric outbreak management in long-term care homes – The case of Ontario, Canada. Can J Infect Control 2021;36(4):172-174.
8 Ayukekbong J. Discordant COVID-19 PCR test results and the implications in long-term care. Can J Infect Control 2021;36(3):122-144.
9. Ayukekbong J. Public health and human rights during a pandemic; an unresolved diliemma concerning mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 for healthcare workers. Can J Infect Control 2021;36(2):74-76.
10. Ntumvi F, Ndze V, Gillis A, Le Doux Diffo, Tamoufe U, Takuo JM, Moctar M, Nwobegahay J, LeBreton M, Rimoin A, Schneider B, Monagin C, McIver D, Sanjit R, Ayukekbong J, Saylors K, Joly D, Wolfe N, Rubin E, Lange C (2020). Wildlife in Cameroon harbor diverse coronaviruses including many isolates closely related to human coronavirus 229E. bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.03.458874
11. Ayukekbong J. Infection prevention and control in long-term care, Lessons learned from the COVID-19 outbreaks and future perspectives. Can J Infect Control 2021;36(1):16-19.
12. Ayukekbong J. COVID-19 Saga; Lessons for the Future. Can J Infect Control 2021;35(4):157-158.
13. Ayukekbong J, Ntemgwa M, Ayukekbong S Ashu E., Agbor T. COVID-19 compared to other epidemic coronaviruses and the Flu. W J Clin Infect Dis 2020;10:1-18.
14. Ntumvi N.F, Mbala Kingebeni P, Tamoufe U, Ndze V. Ngay Lukusa I, LeBreton M, Monagin C, Ayukekbong J, Rubin E.M, Wolfe N.D, Lange C.E. High Herpesvirus Diversity in Wild Rodent and Shrew Species in Central Africa. Intervirology 2018. doi.org/10.1159/000493796.
15. Kumakamba C, Ngay Lukusa I, Mbala Kingebeni P, N'Kawa F, Atibu Losoma J, Mulembakani PM, Makuwa M, Muyembe Tamfum JJ, Belais R, Gillis A, Harris S, Rimoin AW, Hoff NA, Fair JN, Monagin C, Ayukekbong J, Rubin EM, Wolfe ND, Lange CE (2018). DNA
indicative of human bocaviruses detected in non-human primates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. J Gen Virol; 99(5):676-681. doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.001048.
16. Ayukekbong J and Oyero OG, Mesumbe H, Fobisong C (2017). A case of Chikungunya virus importation to Canada from Cameroon via Sweden. Eurosurveillance case report. Submitted
17. Ayukekbong J and Oyero OG (2017). Value of routine dengue diagnosis in endemic countries; World J Virol 12; 6(1): 9-16
18. Nnukwu SE, Utsalo SJ, Oyero OG, Ayukekbong J (2017). Point-of-care diagnosis and risk factors of infantile rotavirus infection in Nigeria. African Journal of Lab Med.:6(1):631. doi:10.4102/ajlm.v6i1.631
19. Ayukekbong J, Michel Ntemgwa Andre Atabe (2017) The threat of antimicrobial resistance in developing countries; causes and control strategies, Antimicrob Resist Infect Control.15;6:47. doi: 16.1186/s13756-017-0208-x.
20. Ayukekbong J (2015). The 2014-2015 Ebola saga: Lessons for the future. J. Epidemiology & community health. doi: 10.1136/jech-2015-206138
21. Ayukekbong J (2015) Current goals and prospects of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. J Epidemiology and community health. Jech-2015-205529.doi:10.1136.
22. Ayukekbong J and Bergström T (2014). Polio will go, acute flaccid paralysis will stay. The Lancet. 383(9936):2209-10.
23 Ayukekbong J (2014). Dengue Virus in Nigeria: Current Status and Future Perspective. British Journal of Virology 1(3):106-111.
24. Ayukekbong J, Mesumbe HN, Oyero OG, Lindh M, and Bergström T (2015). The role of noroviruses as etiologic agents of diarrhea in developing country. Journal of general virology. Pii:vir.0.000194. doi:10.1099.
25. Oyero O and Ayukekbong J (2014) High dengue NS1 antigenemia in febrile patients in Nigeria. Virus Research. 191:59-61.
26. Oyero O, Adu F, Ayukekbong J (2014) Molecular characterization of diverse species enterovirus-B types from children with acute flaccid paralysis and asymptomatic children in Nigeria. Virus Research. 189C:189-193.
27. Ayukekbong J and Bergström T (2014) Pattern of circulation of norovirus GII strains during natural infection. J. Clin Microbiol. Doi:10.1128/JCM.01896-14.
28. Ayukekbong J, Fobisong C, Lindh M, Nkuo-Akenji T, Bergström T, Norder H (2014) Molecular analysis of enterovirus in Cameroon reveals a high genetic diversity and a high frequency of infection. J Med Virol. 10.1002/jmv.23926.
29. Ayukekbong J, Anderson M, Vansarla G, Tah F, Nkuo-Akenji T, Lindh M, Bergström (2013b). Monitoring of seasonality of norovirus and other enteric viruses in Cameroon by real-time PCR; an exploratory study. Epidemiology & infection 142(7): 1393-402.
30. Ayukekbong J, Kabayiza JC, Tah F, Nkuo-Akenji T, Lindh M, Bergström T, Norder H (2013a). Shift of Human Enterovirus Species among Children in Cameroon – Identification of a new enterovirus, HEV-A119. J. Clin. Virol 58:227-232.
31. Ayukekbong J, Nordgren J, Kabayiza J, Lindh M, Svensson L, Bergström T (2015). Human histo-blood group antigens and susceptibility to asymptomatic norovirus infections in Cameroon. In press.
32. Ayukekbong J, Lindh M, Nenonen N, Tah F, Nkuo-Akenji T, Bergström T (2011) Enteric viruses in healthy children in Cameroon; Viral load & genotyping of norovirus strains. J. med virol 83(12):2135-42.
33. Mouiche MMM, Ntumvi NF, Maptue VT, Tamoufe U, Albert B, Ngum Ndze V, Nwobegahay J, Gillis A, LeBreton M, McIver DJ, Ayukekbong JA, Saylors K, Rubin EM,
Lange CE. Evidence of Low-Level Dengue Virus Circulation in the South Region of Cameroon in 2018. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2020 Apr;20(4):314-317. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2019.2531. Epub 2020 Jan 14. PMID: 31934826.
MAJOR DISCOVERY: Human enterovirus A-119 (http://www.picornaviridae.com/enterovirus/ev-a/ev-a.htm
RESEARCH PROPOSAL/GRANT DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE
Extensive experience in composing proposals for grants, letters of intent, manuscripts and reports. Significant technical and scientific writing skills with a logical framework in presenting information. Adopting a strategic writing style where goals and deliverables are set out and how they will be measured along the course of the project including logframe. This logframe articulates the goal (overall aim); outcome (what will be achieved, who will benefit, and by when); outputs (specific results the project will generate); activities (what tasks need to be done in order for the output to be achieved). These often involves setting objectively verifiable indicators (how achievements will be measured), means of verification (how information for the indicators will be collected) and how external conditions such as risk and assumptions will be addressed.
Additionally, in line with the global feminist assistance, my research proposals are usually designed to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls by supporting partnerships, innovation and advocacy efforts with the greatest potential to close gender gaps in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. I also include innovative financial management style to give value for money as well as mitigating the risk to the environment. Below is a list of previous grants I have contributed in;
Title: Human & wildlife surveillance for zoonotic diseases of pandemic potential
Agency: United States Agency for International Development
Amount: $100,000,000
Date(s): 04/2014 - 0/2019
Role: Implementation lead in Central Africa
Was responsible for annual work plan development, application of IRB and managing of the entire project implementation and oversight.
Title: Novel reusable biodegradable pads and menstrual hygiene management for displaced Mbororo women and girls in North West Cameroon
Agency: Grand Challenge Canada
Amount: $100,000
Date(s): 07/2018 - 09/2019
Role: Principal investigator
Was responsible for concept formation, proposal development, submission and implementation.
Title: Transformation of Community waste into biogas in Kenya
Agency: Grand Challenge Canada
Amount: $100,000
Date(s): 07/2018 - 09/2019
Role: Co-principal investigator, with Dr. Wilfred Bengwi
Contributed in proposal development, submission and implementation
Title: Conquering HCV through Micro-elimination
Agency: Gilead Global
Amount: $350,000
Date(s): 07/2018 - 03/2020
Role: Co-principal investigator with Dr. Eta, Ashu
Contributed in proposal development, submission and implementation
Title: Surveillance of enteric viruses in health & disease in West Africa
Agency: Swedish Agency for International Development
Amount: $250,000
Date(s): 03/2010 - 09/2014
PI/Co-PI: Investigator; PI was Prof Tomas Bergstrom
Was responsible for annual work plan development, application of IRB, project implementation and oversight.
LOBBYING AND ADVOCACY
2021 IPAC Canada Hill Day: Serve as a lobbyist for IPAC Canada by meeting with MP and federal ministers on health transfer funding to provinces to improve on the health system.
COVID-19 vaccination advocacy: Developed a video and delivered multiple talks to health personnel to encourage vaccination update.
HOBBIES: Soccer, gardening, music, golf, motivational speaking.