Breakthrough
Research
Led by Dr. Fidelis Ndombera (PhD Biochemistry), our research focuses on innovative cancer therapeutics, drug development, and cutting-edge biochemical solutions for global health challenges.
Featured Research
Novel anti-cancer agents with 51 citations - breakthrough research in cancer therapeutics
Research Focus Areas
Language Adaptation
Developing techniques to adapt AI models to understand and process diverse African languages, enabling more natural and effective healthcare communication across the continent.
Privacy-Preserving AI
Researching federated learning and other techniques that enable AI model training without centralizing sensitive patient data.
Cultural Context in AI
Exploring how diverse cultural contexts across Africa affect AI performance in healthcare settings and developing methods to create culturally-adaptive AI systems that respect local traditions.
Low-Resource Computing
Developing techniques to optimize AI models for low-bandwidth environments and resource-constrained devices common in rural healthcare settings.
Medical Imaging AI
Researching computer vision techniques for medical imaging analysis, with a focus on conditions prevalent across Africa and images from diverse skin tones representing the continent's rich diversity.
AI Ethics & Governance
Developing frameworks for ethical AI deployment in healthcare settings, with a focus on fairness, transparency, and accountability across diverse African contexts while honoring our Kenyan heritage.
Breakthrough Discoveries
Pioneering research in cancer therapeutics, drug development, and biochemical innovations with global impact and recognition.
Pharmacokinetic, physicochemical and medicinal properties of n-glycoside anti-cancer agent more potent than 2-deoxy-d-glucose in lung cancer cells
F Ndombera, G Maiyoh, V Tuei
Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
This groundbreaking study presents a novel n-glycoside anti-cancer agent that demonstrates superior efficacy compared to 2-deoxy-d-glucose in lung cancer cell lines. Our research reveals significant improvements in pharmacokinetic properties and medicinal potential, offering new therapeutic avenues for cancer treatment with enhanced bioavailability and reduced toxicity profiles.
A clickable glutathione approach for identification of protein glutathionylation in response to glucose metabolism
KTG Samarasinghe, DNPM Godage, Y Zhou, FT Ndombera, E Weerapana, YH Ahn
Molecular BioSystems
We developed an innovative clickable glutathione approach that enables precise identification of protein glutathionylation in cellular responses to glucose metabolism. This methodology provides unprecedented insights into redox regulation mechanisms and opens new avenues for understanding metabolic diseases and developing targeted therapeutic interventions.
Carbohydrate-based inducers of cellular stress for targeting cancer cells
FT Ndombera, GC VanHecke, S Nagi, YH Ahn
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters
This research introduces novel carbohydrate-based compounds that selectively induce cellular stress in cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. Our findings demonstrate a promising therapeutic strategy that exploits metabolic differences between normal and malignant cells, potentially leading to more effective and less toxic cancer treatments.
Anti-cancer agents and reactive oxygen species modulators that target cancer cell metabolism
FT Ndombera
Pure and Applied Chemistry
This comprehensive review examines the role of reactive oxygen species modulators in cancer therapy, focusing on agents that specifically target altered metabolic pathways in cancer cells. The work provides critical insights into the development of next-generation anti-cancer therapeutics with improved selectivity and efficacy.
Revisiting cheminformatics and mechanisms of action of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in targeting COVID-19
FT Ndombera
Journal of Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics
During the COVID-19 pandemic, this timely research provided critical analysis of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine mechanisms through advanced cheminformatics approaches. The study contributed valuable insights into drug repurposing strategies and highlighted the importance of computational methods in rapid therapeutic development during global health emergencies.
The role of infections in the causation of cancer in Kenya
VC Tuei, GK Maiyoh, FT Ndombera
Cancer Causes & Control
This important epidemiological study examines the relationship between infectious diseases and cancer development in Kenya, providing crucial data for understanding cancer etiology in African populations. The research offers valuable insights for developing targeted prevention strategies and improving cancer care across the continent.
Our Research Partners
University of Nairobi
Kenya
Makerere University
Uganda
University of Dar es Salaam
Tanzania
MIT Media Lab
USA
Stanford HAI
USA
DeepMind Health
UK
Join Our Research Efforts
We're always looking for research partners, collaborators, and talented researchers to join our team.