Dr. MARTIN FAYE | Diagnostic tools| Excellence in Research Award |

Institut Pasteur de Dakar,Senegal

Professional Profiles:

👨‍🎓 Bio Summary:

Dr. Martin Faye, a distinguished virologist from Senegal, is the Head of the Rabies and Viral Encephalitis Lab at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar. With over a decade of experience in infectious disease research, Dr. Faye has contributed significantly to the global understanding of arboviruses, viral encephalitis, and other zoonotic diseases. His expertise spans molecular epidemiology, infectious disease diagnostics, and genomic surveillance, particularly in response to public health emergencies like Ebola and SARS-CoV-2. Known for his dedication to capacity building, he has trained numerous scientists across Africa, strengthening regional diagnostic capabilities.

🎓 Educational Background:

Dr. Faye earned his Ph.D. in Virology in 2017 from the University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal, where he conducted groundbreaking research on the molecular epidemiology of viral encephalitis. He holds a Master’s degree in Molecular Virology (2012) from the same institution, focusing on West Nile virus replication kinetics. His academic foundation was established with a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences in 2010, followed by a Baccalaureate in 2006 from Lycée Blaise Diagne.

🔍 Research Focus:

Dr. Faye’s research is centered on infectious disease epidemiology, molecular virology, and public health microbiology. His primary focus areas include arboviruses, viral hemorrhagic fevers, rabies, enteroviruses, and SARS-CoV-2. He has led efforts in genomic surveillance, virus-host interactions, and developing molecular diagnostic tools. His work has had a profound impact on the understanding and management of viral outbreaks in West Africa.

🏆 Honors & Awards:

Dr. Faye has been recognized for his critical role in infectious disease response. He served as a WHO consultant during the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and received a Certificate of Satisfaction from WHO-AFRO for his contributions. Additionally, he has earned certificates of excellence for his peer-review work from prestigious journals such as Pathogens.

💼 Professional Experience:

Since 2023, Dr. Faye has been leading the Rabies and Viral Encephalitis Lab at Institut Pasteur de Dakar. He is also the Deputy Head of the sequencing core facility, contributing to the WHO Inter-country Reference Center for Poliomyelitis. His extensive fieldwork includes deploying mobile labs for COVID-19 diagnostics in Senegal and serving as a laboratory expert for the Ebola outbreak in the DRC. He has also played a pivotal role in training scientists from various African countries in molecular diagnostics and sequencing technologies.

📚 Top Noted Publications :

Title: Molecular Epidemiology and Pathogenicity of Wesselsbron Virus Circulating in Africa
Authors: Faye, M.; Di Paola, N.; Dia, M.; Sall, A.A.; Faye, O.
Journal: Virus Research
Year: 2024
Index: Volume 350, Article 199499
Citations: 0

Title: Recent Molecular Epidemiology of Echovirus 11 Throughout North and West Africa Resulted in the First Identification of a Recombinant Strain from an Acute Flaccid Paralysis Case in West Africa
Authors: Ndiaye, N.; Thiaw, F.D.; Lagare, A.; Faye, O.; Faye, M.
Journal: Viruses
Year: 2024
Index: Volume 16, Issue 11, Article 1772
Citations: 0

Title: Navigating the Route to Polio Eradication in the WHO AFRO Region
Authors: Chia, J.E.; Faye, M.; Jermaine, K.; Ahmed, J.; Anfumbom, K.
Journal: The Lancet
Year: 2024
Index: Volume 404, Issue 10463, Page 1637
Citations: 0

Title: Enhancing Readiness in Managing Mpox Outbreaks in Africa
Authors: Faye, M.; Roth, C.; Fitchett, J.R.A.; Sall, A.A.; Sow, A.
Journal: The Lancet
Year: 2024
Index: Volume 403, Issue 10446, Page 2779
Citations: 1

Title: Rapid Detection of Ebolavirus Using Isothermal Recombinase-Aided Amplification
Authors: Ceruti, A.; Faye, M.; Diagne, M.M.; El Wahed, A.A.; Weidmann, M.
Journal: Journal of Medical Virology
Year: 2024
Index: Volume 96, Issue 6, Article e29744
Citations: 0

Conclusion:

Dr. Martin Faye is a strong candidate for the Excellence in Research Award due to his extensive expertise in virology, impactful public health contributions, and commitment to capacity building in Africa. He demonstrates leadership in crucial global health initiatives and mentoring future scientists. Strengthening his publication record and pursuing broader research diversification would enhance his already impressive profile. He is a highly deserving candidate for this prestigious award.

👨‍🎓 Bio Summary:

Dr. Vandana Mukherjee is a seasoned Research Scientist and Senior Manager at IBM, based in San Jose, California. She specializes in advancing artificial intelligence and cognitive software with applications in healthcare, genomics, and knowledge curation. With over 15 years of research and leadership experience, Dr. Mukherjee has led major projects that bridge cutting-edge technology with practical applications, particularly in the realms of natural language processing and functional genomics. Known for her strategic acumen and dedication to innovation, she has been instrumental in IBM’s breakthroughs in AI for healthcare and semiconductor solutions.

🎓 Educational Background:

Dr. Mukherjee earned her Ph.D. and advanced degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her educational foundation has enabled her to excel in both academic and applied research, focusing on the intersection of engineering and artificial intelligence to address real-world challenges in technology and healthcare.

🔍 Research Focus:

Dr. Mukherjee’s current research centers on AI-driven healthcare solutions, focusing on the development of natural language processing models, knowledge curation, and genomic analytics. Her work contributes to a deeper understanding of diseases linked to genomics and microbial life through metagenomics. At IBM, she leads efforts to innovate multimodal models in text analytics and machine learning, enabling transformative solutions that pave the way for new products and partnerships.

🏆 Honors & Awards:

Throughout her career, Dr. Mukherjee has received numerous accolades, including the Outstanding Young Alumni award from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the YWCA Silicon Valley Tribute to Women Honoree. These honors reflect her impact as a leader in both the scientific and business communities.

💼 Professional Experience:

Dr. Mukherjee has been with IBM for over a decade, where she has held various leadership roles. Currently, she serves as the Senior Research Manager in the AI and Healthcare division, focusing on genomic and epidemiology solutions. Previously, she led the IBM Watson Health Imaging project, where her strategic direction was integral to the success of initiatives like the Medical Sieve radiology challenge. Her experience also includes extensive work in semiconductor manufacturing and memory systems development, where she managed global engineering teams to drive advanced technology in IBM’s power and mainframe systems.

📚 Top Noted Publications :

Title: Creation and validation of a chest X-ray dataset with eye-tracking and report dictation for AI development
Authors: A. Karargyris, S. Kashyap, I. Lourentzou, J.T. Wu, A. Sharma, M. Tong, V.V. Mukherjee, et al.
Journal: Scientific Data
Citations: 92
Year: 2021

Title: On the role of artificial intelligence in medical imaging of COVID-19
Authors: J. Born, D. Beymer, D. Rajan, A. Coy, V.V. Mukherjee, M. Manica, P. Prasanna, et al.
Journal: Patterns
Citations: 81
Year: 2021

Title: Supercritical extraction and HPLC analysis of taxol from Taxus brevifolia using nitrous oxide and nitrous oxide+ ethanol mixtures
Authors: V. Vandana, A.S. Teja, L.H. Zalkow
Journal: Fluid Phase Equilibria
Citations: 51
Year: 1996

Title: Convolutional autoencoder based model HistoCAE for segmentation of viable tumor regions in liver whole-slide images
Authors: M. Roy, J. Kong, S. Kashyap, V.P. Pastore, F. Wang, K.C.L. Wong, V. Mukherjee
Journal: Scientific Reports
Citations: 42
Year: 2021

Title: Vapor-liquid equilibria in the carbon dioxide+ 1-propanol system
Authors: V. Vandana, A.S. Teja
Journal: Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data
Citations: 37
Year: 1995

Conclusion:

Vandana Mukherjee’s extensive experience in semiconductor and cognitive software research, coupled with her leadership and innovative contributions, make her a strong candidate for a Research Excellence Award. To maximize her potential, a focus on academic publications and increased community engagement could further bolster her impressive profile.