With 4 years of experience in vaccine development, Dr. Charlie Amoia has a PhD in Molecular Virology-Immunology-Vaccinology from Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania) (and has a visiting scholar at Virginia Tech). I am passionate about animal health and infectious disease. I have acquired laboratory skills, quality control, and safety techniques that enable me to conduct cutting-edge research and propose concrete solutions for the challenges faced by the livestock sector in Africa and beyond. My current project focuses on testing an Adjuvanted DNA vaccine I developed during my PhD, against Newcastle disease a devastating and highly contagious infection of poultry that has a major economic and social impact in Africa. Working with the Weger-Lucarelli lab and the Southern African Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance (SACIDS-ACE), I aim to contribute to advancing science and improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers. I am motivated by the vision of a world where animals and humans can coexist in harmony and health. Outside academia, Charlie Amoia enjoys travelling and immersing himself in different cultures. He has already visited the following countries: Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, Chad, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, South Korea, Vietnam and the United States of America. His diverse experiences and expertise shape her holistic approach to research and advocacy. Publications 1• Amoia, C.F., Chengula, A.A., Hakizimana, J.N. et al. Development of a genotype-matched Newcastle disease DNA vaccine candidate adjuvanted with IL-28b for the control of targeted velogenic strains of Newcastle disease virus in Africa. Vet Res Commun 49, 33 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-024-10590-y 2• Amoia, C.F.; Hakizimana, J.N.; Chengula, A.A.; Munir, M.; Misinzo, G.; Weger-Lucarelli, J. Genomic Diversity and Geographic Distribution of Newcastle Disease Virus Genotypes in Africa: Implications for Diagnosis, Vaccination, and Regional Collaboration. Viruses 2024, 16, 795. https://doi.org/10.3390/v16050795 3• Amoia, C.F., Hakizimana, J.N., Chengula, A.A. et al. Phylogenetic analysis of virulent strains of the Newcastle disease virus isolated from deceased chickens in Tanzania's Morogoro and Iringa regions. Discov Anim 1, 10 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44338-024-00015-0 4• Amoia, C.F.; Hakizimana, J.N.; Duggal, N.K.; Chengula, A.A.; Rohaim, M.A.; Munir, M.; Weger-Lucarelli, J.; Misinzo, G. Genetic Diversity of Newcastle Disease Virus Involved in the 2021 Outbreaks in Backyard Poultry Farms in Tanzania. Vet. Sci. 2023, 10, 477. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10070477 5• Amoia, C. F., Nnadi, P. A., Ezema, C., & Couacy-Hymann, E. (2021). Epidemiology of Newcastle disease in Africa with emphasis on Côte d'Ivoire: A review. Veterinary world, 14(7), 1727–1740. https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2021.1727-1740 Awards • Oral presentation, 8th World One Health Congress - Cape Town, South Africa, 20-23, September 2024. • Selected for an Oral presentation, 2024 International Society for Vaccines (ISV) annual congress to be held 21-23 October 2024, at the Dragon City Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. • Oral presentation, International Veterinary Vaccinology Network Conference 2024, to be held 08-10 November 2024, at the Biotechnology Centre of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. • Poster Presenter, 39th Annual Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS), Research Symposium, March 29, 2023, Graduate Life Center, Blacksburg, VA, USA. • Oral presentation, 40th Tanzania Veterinary Association (TVA) International Scientific Conference held in Dodoma, Tanzania from Tuesday 6th to Thursday 8th December 2022. Grants • Small grant awards ($USD 5,000) offer by the Infectious Diseases (ID) Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program (IGEP), a Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens (CeZAP)-affiliated graduate student program of Virginia Tech University to support graduate student research. • Scholarship, Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) ($USD 100,000), Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania. • Scholarship, AFIMEGQ "Africa For Innovation, Mobility, Exchange, Globalization and Quality", Polytechnic Higher School of the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal. • Research Grant, Regional Cattle Tick Control Project on Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (PRT) financed by the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).