Dr Oumie Kuyateh is a Sanger Excellence Fellow investigating how to use the microbiome to improve the diagnosis of respiratory diseases in Africa. We spoke about science, Sanger, and time travel.
Dr Oumie Kuyateh is a Sanger Excellence Fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and a Junior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge. One of three inaugural Excellence Fellows, her research is focused on understanding what bacteria make up the nasal microbiome of African children, and using this insight to help inform diagnosis of respiratory diseases such as pneumonia.
Growing up in The Gambia, Oumie moved to the UK for her biochemistry undergraduate degree at University College London before going on to achieve her Masters and PhD at the University of Edinburgh. She is an advocate for increasing the representation of women and people of African descent in science. In addition to this, she is a keen coffee consumer and knows how to make a good benachin, the national dish of The Gambia.
We spoke about science, Sanger, and time travel.
Kicking things off, what do you work on?
I am looking at what is in the nasopharyngeal microbiome, which is the collection of organisms in your nose and throat. I am focusing on the microbiomes of African children, investigating what these microbiomes contain when a child is healthy and when they are sick, and how environmental factors such as pollution, antibiotics, and vaccines, affect this.
I am using whole metagenomic sequencing to do this, this is a technique that allows me to sequence all genes in all organisms present in one complex sample. Metagenomics is an area that I became fascinated with during my PhD, specifically in using it to discover viruses and microorganisms.
By having a clearer picture of the microbiome, we hope that it will help inform and design diagnostic tests for respiratory diseases such as pneumonia.
Kicking things off, what do you work on?
I am looking at what is in the nasopharyngeal microbiome, which is the collection of organisms in your nose and throat. I am focusing on the microbiomes of African children, investigating what these microbiomes contain when a child is healthy and when they are sick, and how environmental factors such as pollution, antibiotics, and vaccines, affect this.
I am using whole metagenomic sequencing to do this, this is a technique that allows me to sequence all genes in all organisms present in one complex sample. Metagenomics is an area that I became fascinated with during my PhD, specifically in using it to discover viruses and microorganisms.
By having a clearer picture of the microbiome, we hope that it will help inform and design diagnostic tests for respiratory diseases such as pneumonia.
“By having a clearer picture of the microbiome, we hope that it will help inform and design diagnostic tests for respiratory diseases such as pneumonia.”
Dr Oumie Kuyateh, a Sanger Excellence Fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and a Junior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge
What interested you about science?
When I was growing up in The Gambia, I always found the sciences and math enjoyable, and I thought I would end up pursuing a career in engineering because some of my family are engineers. This includes my mum, Fatou Jasseh Kuyateh, who was the first Gambian woman to graduate as an engineer.
But then, after my GCSEs, I had the chance to do an internship at the Medical Research Council (MRC) in The Gambia, and I think seeing African scientists was quite instrumental in my career. Before that experience, I didn’t think that being a scientist was something that was remotely possible for me. I think my mum also helped me a lot in choosing a research career, by always inspiring me to pursue my dreams despite the odds against me.
What interested you about science?
When I was growing up in The Gambia, I always found the sciences and math enjoyable, and I thought I would end up pursuing a career in engineering because some of my family are engineers. This includes my mum, Fatou Jasseh Kuyateh, who was the first Gambian woman to graduate as an engineer.
But then, after my GCSEs, I had the chance to do an internship at the Medical Research Council (MRC) in The Gambia, and I think seeing African scientists was quite instrumental in my career. Before that experience, I didn’t think that being a scientist was something that was remotely possible for me. I think my mum also helped me a lot in choosing a research career, by always inspiring me to pursue my dreams despite the odds against me.
“My mum helped me a lot in choosing a research career, by always inspiring me to pursue my dreams despite the odds against me.”
Dr Oumie Kuyateh
Tell us something that you enjoy about your research?
I like a lot of stuff about my field and my job. But, one of my favourite things is that I like playing with data, genomic data to be precise, to try and make sense of it and draw conclusions.
Before Sanger, during my PhD, I enjoyed assembling virus genomes. I found it exciting that we were able to discover and name different viruses. For example, there were flies from The Gambia which had a new scattered virus, and I named it ‘Tassaro’ which means scattered in Wolof.
Who are you inspired by?
I am lucky in that I have a community of women that I can speak to when I want to talk about science, and being a woman in science. It is great to be able to go to them for support, and I am inspired by every one of them.
I am also inspired by the people I met during my time at the MRC. A lot of the Gambians I know are older than me, and ahead of me career-wise, and I’ve found it incredibly useful to be able to look them up and go to them when I am looking for career advice, or career inspiration. In this sense, people such as Dr Madikay Senghore, and Dr Neneh Sallah, who did her PhD at Sanger, have been quite instrumental in my career.
Beyond this, there are a few women I follow who are doing incredible science and whose careers inspire me to continue to be the best I can be. One of these is Prof Francisca Mutapi who is a Professor of Immunology at Edinburgh and co-Director of the Global Health Academy. The other is Professor Faith Osier who is at Imperial College, and the current President of the International Union of Immunological Societies, which has 60,000 members globally. She is the first African and only the second woman in this role.
Who are you inspired by?
I am lucky in that I have a community of women that I can speak to when I want to talk about science, and being a woman in science. It is great to be able to go to them for support, and I am inspired by every one of them.
I am also inspired by the people I met during my time at the MRC. A lot of the Gambians I know are older than me, and ahead of me career-wise, and I’ve found it incredibly useful to be able to look them up and go to them when I am looking for career advice, or career inspiration. In this sense, people such as Dr Madikay Senghore, and Dr Neneh Sallah, who did her PhD at Sanger, have been quite instrumental in my career.
“A lot of the Gambians I know are older than me, and ahead of me career-wise, and I’ve found it incredibly useful to be able to look them up and go to them when I am looking for career advice, or career inspiration.”
Dr Oumie Kuyateh
Beyond this, there are a few women I follow who are doing incredible science and whose careers inspire me to continue to be the best I can be. One of these is Prof Francisca Mutapi who is a Professor of Immunology at Edinburgh and co-Director of the Global Health Academy. The other is Professor Faith Osier who is at Imperial College, and the current President of the International Union of Immunological Societies, which has 60,000 members globally. She is the first African and only the second woman in this role.
If you could time travel, where would you go?
I think I'd probably go back and meet my great-grandmother. My mum has told me some really fun stories about her, especially from during my mum’s childhood, so I would really want to get to meet her if I had the chance.
Do you have any advice for anyone who is interested in applying for the Sanger Excellence Fellowship?
I would say that my main advice is don't be shy, put your best foot forward and really sell yourself. When it comes to the interview, it’s useful to have someone to practice questions with, and to write out everything that you want to include.
Sanger is a great place to be and I think one of the best things about it is the focus on collaboration. Everyone's willing to help and discuss science and I think that means you tap into many more minds. In that sense, resources are almost unlimited.
Do you have any advice for anyone who is interested in applying for the Sanger Excellence Fellowship?
I would say that my main advice is don't be shy, put your best foot forward and really sell yourself. When it comes to the interview, it’s useful to have someone to practice questions with, and to write out everything that you want to include.
“I would say don't be shy, put your best foot forward and really sell yourself.”
Dr Oumie Kuyateh
Sanger is a great place to be and I think one of the best things about it is the focus on collaboration. Everyone's willing to help and discuss science and I think that means you tap into many more minds. In that sense, resources are almost unlimited.
