Dr. Issa N. Lyimo is a Medical and Public Health Entomologist at the Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department of the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI), with over 20 years of experience in the ecology, biology, behavior, surveillance, and control of insect vectors that transmit diseases to humans and animals. His research encompasses integrated vector management and One Health approaches, with a focus on vector ecology, behavior, surveillance, insecticide resistance, and the development of novel strategies to combat residual malaria transmission.

Dr. Lyimo began his career in 2002 after earning a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (BVM) from the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania. There, he initiated entomological work by establishing an Anopheles gambiae colony and testing neem-based botanicals against mosquito larvae.

In 2004, he joined the Vector Control Program at the Joint Malaria Program (now PAMVERC) in Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre as Vector Control Manager and Field Entomologist, where he led insecticide resistance monitoring and evaluated insecticides for ITNs and IRS under WHO Phase I and II guidelines. This work deepened his passion for understanding how environmental changes, including interventions, influence the behavior of malaria vectors and control strategies.

In 2006, Dr. Lyimo joined IHI as Entomology Project Manager, PhD Student, and Senior Research Scientist. Later, he earned his PhD in Vector Ecology, Behavior, and Control from the School of Biodiversity, One Health, and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow (UK) in 2010. His postdoctoral research (2010–2011), in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and IHI, focused on predicting the impacts of environmental and livestock management changes on vector behavior and species dynamics. From 2011 onward, Dr. Lyimo has led cutting-edge studies on livestock-based interventions (e.g., pyrethroids, chlorfenapyr, entomopathogenic fungi, ivermectin) to control outdoor-biting, pyrethroid-resistant, and zoophagic malaria vectors. As Chief Research Scientist and Public Health Entomologist at IHI since 2012, he has contributed significantly to the design and evaluation of novel tools such as eave tube technology, house improvements, and ivermectin treatment of livestock and humans. He also coordinated large-scale entomological surveillance activities across Tanzania and a cluster randomized clinical trial to evaluate the potential of ivermectin treatment in humans and livestock in reducing residual malaria transmission.

Dr. Lyimo has received multiple advanced training certifications, including:

• Global Leadership and Science of Malaria Elimination (2021) – Swiss TPH, ISGlobal, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Functional Genomics of Insect Vectors (2006) – MRTC, University of Bamako, Mali
• Molecular Approaches in Malaria Research and Vaccine Development (2006) – ICGEB, New Delhi, India
• Research Methodology in HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria (2006) – University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

He currently serves as a core member of the Vector Control Technical Working Group of Tanzania’s National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), contributing to the development of national strategies on malaria control, insecticide resistance, surveillance systems, and larval source management. Dr. Lyimo is also a Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Fellow, awarded by the Kofi Annan Foundation and Africa CDC.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

Dr. Issa N. Lyimo is a seasoned Medical and Public Health Entomologist with over 20 years of experience in malaria vector ecology, biology, behavior, surveillance, insecticide resistance, and integrated control strategies. His work integrates One Health approaches to address residual malaria transmission, particularly through innovations targeting insecticide-resistant and outdoor-biting malaria vectors.

His research focuses on leveraging a deep understanding of mosquito ecology and behavior to design and evaluate integrated vector control strategies aimed at mitigating insecticide resistance and accelerating malaria elimination. His contributions align with the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 and the Global Vector Control Response 2017–2030.

Key Professional Skills and Competencies:

• Designing research protocols, operational manuals, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and ensuring compliance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP).
• Planning, implementing, tracking, and supervising project work plans and schedules; preparing progress and technical reports.
• Leading and coordinating regular team, stakeholder, and partner meetings and communications.
• Establishing and maintaining laboratory and semi-field free-flying mosquito colonies for experimental use.
• Designing, conducting, and supervising laboratory, semi-field, and field experiments to assess mosquito ecology, behavior, and vector control efficacy.
• Developing and evaluating innovative vector control strategies, including:
  • Eave Tube Technology and house improvements.
  • Passive Odor-Baited Traps.
  • Livestock-based interventions, including pyrethroid and ivermectin treatment of cattle.
• Leading evaluations of new and existing insecticides for ITNs and IRS using WHO Phase I and II guidelines for product prequalification.
• Coordinating large-scale monitoring of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors per WHO protocols.
• Leading clinical trials assessing the efficacy of vector control tools and diagnostic devices.
• Teaching, mentoring, and supervising MSc and PhD students in medical/veterinary entomology and vector ecology.
• Proficient in data management and statistical analysis using R and STATA.
• Skilled in scientific communication, including manuscript writing, technical reporting, grant proposal development, and delivering oral/poster presentations at national and international forums.
• Building and maintaining collaborative networks with local teams, district/regional/national government entities, international research institutions, and key stakeholders.

PROJECTS:

Current Projects

• NOCY Project
  Title: Development and Testing of Next-Generation Mosquito Nets for Control of Insecticide-Resistant Mosquitoes
  Collaborators: Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) & Africa Applied Chemical Limited
  Donor: Grand Challenges Canada
  Total Budget: CAD 150,000 (CAD 70,000 + USD 68,000 awarded to IHI)
  Duration: 2023–2025
  Role: Principal Investigator (PI) – Dr. Issa N. Lyimo

Past Projects

• DCMS Project
  Title: Digital Cough Monitoring for Screening, Diagnosis, and Clinical Follow-up of Respiratory Diseases in Low-Resource Settings
  Collaborators: CHUM & IHI
  Donor: Trustees of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
  Duration: 2021–2022
  Role: PI – Dr. Issa N. Lyimo
• BOHEMIA Project (UNITAID Collaborative Grant)
  Title: Broad One Health Endectocide-Based Malaria Intervention in Africa
  Donor: UNITAID
  Total Budget: USD 25.3 million (USD 5.44 million awarded to IHI)
  Duration: 2019–2024
  Role: Country Principal Investigator – Dr. Issa N. Lyimo
• HMBPP Project
  Title: Targeting Host-Seeking Malaria Mosquitoes Using a Trick Evolved by Their Parasites
  Donor: Swedish Research Council
  Collaborators: Stockholm University & IHI
  Total Budget: SEK 4,050,000 (SEK 1,830,296 transferred to IHI)
  Duration: 2018–2021
  Role: Co-Principal Investigator – Dr. Issa N. Lyimo
• Eave Tube Scale-up Pilot
  Title: Eave Tubes/Bricks for Malaria Elimination in Peri(urban) Tanzania
  Donor: Human Development Innovation Fund (HDIF)
  Total Budget: GBP 542,043 (awarded to IHI)
  Duration: 2016–2017
  Role: Co-Principal Investigator – Dr. Issa N. Lyimo
• Low-Cost Mosquito Control Device
  Title: A Low-Cost Mosquito Contamination Device for Sustainable Malaria Control
  Donor: European Union, FP7 – Health – 2012 – Innovation
  Total Budget: EUR 5,212,773 (EUR 1,541,500 awarded to IHI)
  Duration: 2013–2016
  Role: Co-Principal Investigator – Dr. Issa N. Lyimo
• AVEC-Net (African Vector Control: New Tools)
  Title: Controlling Malaria by Hitting the Vector: New or Improved Vector Control Tools
  Donor: European Union, FP7–Health 2020
  Total Budget: EUR 12,000,000 (EUR 1,500,000 awarded to IHI, including EUR 210,000 for Task 2)
  Duration: 2011–2015
  Role: Task Leader – Dr. Issa N. Lyimo
• Career Development Fellowship Project
  Title: Predicting the Impact of Environmental Changes and Interventions on Malaria Vector Species Composition and Prospects for Control
  Donors: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine & Ifakara Health Institute
  Duration: 2011–2012
  Value: GBP 41,198
  Role: Principal Investigator – Dr. Issa N. Lyimo
• Entomopathogenic Fungi for Mosquito Control
  Title: Fungus-Coated Nets Against Mosquito-Borne Diseases
  Donor: UBS Optimus Foundation
  Total Budget: CHF 150,000 (CHF 39,275 awarded to IHI)
  Duration: 2011–2012
  Role: Co-Principal Investigator – Dr. Issa N. Lyimo
• Trophic Cascade Dynamics Project
  Title: Trophic Cascades in Vector–Parasite–Host Dynamics: Can Small-Scale Foraging Processes Represent the Landscape Consequences of Habitat Change?
  Donor: David Phillips Fellowship, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
  Total Budget: USD 325,786 (awarded to IHI)
  Duration: 2006–2011
  Role: Project Leader – Dr. Issa N. Lyimo

MILESTONES:

Recent Achievements:

• Awarded the prestigious Kofi Annan Fellowship in Global Health Leadership by Africa CDC.
• Contributed to the Broad One Health Endectocide-Based Malaria Intervention (BOHEMIA) trial, a large, cluster-randomized clinical study funded by UNITAID, evaluating the potential of ivermectin mass drug administration (MDA) to humans, or to both humans and livestock, to reduce residual malaria transmission in Tanzania, Kenya, and Mozambique.
• Participated in extensive entomological surveillance to assess the efficacy of human double net traps compared to CDC light traps for indoor and outdoor vector sampling in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania.
• Successfully mentored and supervised two MSc students, who completed their programs in 2024.
• Contributed to the development and submission of a Medical Research Council (MRC) grant application as part of a research consortium.
• Co-authored and contributed to the publication of at least five peer-reviewed manuscripts in international journals, including Scientific Data, Scientific Reports, and PLOS ONE.
• As a member of the Vector Control Technical Working Group of Tanzania’s National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), contributed in 2024 to national reviews of:
  • Vector control products
  • Entomological surveillance systems
  • Insecticide resistance monitoring
  • Larval source management guidelines

Past Research Achievements

• Contributed to WHO Phase I and II evaluations of new and existing insecticides for malaria vector control. Early laboratory and experimental hut tests with chlorfenapyr-treated nets informed the development of second-generation pyrethroid–chlorfenapyr nets for managing insecticide-resistant vectors.
• Played a key role in the establishment of insectaries housing insecticide-resistant and susceptible colonies, and in the creation of experimental hut sites at the Vector Control Programme (now PAMVERC), Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College.
• Led or contributed to large-scale insecticide resistance monitoring in malaria vectors following WHO guidelines.
• Instrumental in establishing semi-field system facilities at Ifakara Health Institute, including Mosquito City and VectorSphere, for advanced studies on vector ecology, behavior, and control.
• Established and maintained Anopheles arabiensis insectaries at IHI and the University of Glasgow (2008).
• Contributed to the development of self-sustaining, free-flying mosquito colonies in semi-field systems for ecological and intervention studies.
• Identified the impact of host species and availability on mosquito host choice and malaria transmission intensity.
• Designed and evaluated novel vector control strategies, including:
  • Eave Tube Technology (house improvements)
  • Passive Odor-Baited Traps
  • Livestock-based interventions (e.g., ivermectin and pyrethroid treatment)
• Led and coordinated the scale-up of Eave Tube Technology in over 2,300 houses in urban and rural areas of Tanzania.
• Trained, mentored, and supervised five MSc and one PhD student in medical entomology and vector control, and environmental toxicology.
• Contributed to building large international research consortia, securing funding from:
  • The European Union (e.g., AVECNET, MCD projects)
  • UNITAID (e.g., BOHEMIA project)
• Jointly patented several vector control innovations, including:
  • Eave tubes and brick technologies for vector control
  • A structural device for pesticide delivery to arthropods
  • SmartPatch: a resistance-breaking tool for insecticide-treated nets
• Demonstrated continuous improvement in leadership, teamwork, collaboration, initiative, organization, and strategic project coordination.

TRAINING, SUPERVISING, AND MENTORING DUTIES:

Teaching Duties

• 2018 – Present: Teaching, mentoring, and supervising Master of Science in Public Health Research (MScPHR) students under the Ecology of Infectious Diseases course.
  • Program jointly offered by Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) and the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST)
  • Location: IHI Training Centre, Bagamoyo, Tanzania

Postgraduate Students Mentored and Supervised

1. Stella T. Kessy (MSc – Completed, European Union Funded)
   • Institution: Faculty of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
   • Current Position: PhD student at the World Bank-funded Centre of Excellence for Pest Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania
2. Gerald Enos Shija (PhD – Completed, UNITAID Funded)
   • Institutions: School of Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, USA & IHI
   • Current Position: Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, University of Dodoma, Tanzania
3. Miriam Shani Ruhinda (MSc – Completed, UNITAID Funded)
   • Institutions: Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, USA & IHI
   • Current Position: Research Assistant, Integrated Molecular Entomology Core Laboratory, Kansas State University, USA
4. Alphonce Alexander Assenga (MSc – Completed, UNITAID Funded)
   • Institutions: Department of Population Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, USA & IHI
   • Current Position: Research Scientist, Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute
5. Alex Limwagu (MSc – Completed, Gates Foundation Funded)
   • Institutions: Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Tanzania & IHI
   • Current Position: Research Scientist, Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute
6. Martha Adrian Ndaikeje (MPF – Completed)
   • Program: Master of Science in Public Health and Food Safety (MPF)
   • Institution: Department of Veterinary Public Health, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania
   • Current Position: Volunteer, Ifakara Laboratory, Ifakara Health Institute
7. Paul C. Mrosso (MSc – Ongoing, Swedish Research Council Funded)
   • Institutions: Faculty of Life Sciences, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology & IHI
   • Current Position: Research Scientist, Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute

Additional Mentorship

• Regularly supervises and mentors additional MSc and PhD students, interns, and early-career scientists at the Ifakara Health Institute and in collaborating international laboratories, providing direct or indirect academic and professional guidance.

Honors, Fellowships, and Scholarship Awards

• 2025: Kofi Annan Fellowship in Global Health Leadership – Awarded by Africa CDC for outstanding contributions to public health leadership in Africa.
• 2011–2012: Hassan Mshinda Career Development Fellowship – Awarded by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Ifakara Health Institute to support postdoctoral training.
• 2007: Faculty Studentship Award – Awarded by the University of Glasgow for PhD training.
• 2006: WHO/TDR Fellowship – Supported participation in a training course on functional genomics of insect vectors of human diseases at the University of Bamako, Mali.
• 2006: ICGEB Fellowship – Attended a specialized course on molecular approaches in malaria research and vaccine development in New Delhi, India.
• 2006: Belgium Technical Cooperation Fellowship – Participated in a research methodology training course at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
• 2006: Charter Scholarship – Awarded by Keele University for MSc studies in Molecular Parasitology and Vector Control.
• 2006: Postgraduate International Scholarship – Granted by the University of Salford for MSc studies in Molecular Parasitology and Vector Biology.
• 2010: International Travel Award – Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to attend and present research at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
• 2012: International Travel Award – Sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to attend the Symposium on Molecular Evolution of Infectious Diseases.
• 2005: 4th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Award – Supported participation in the Entomology Workshop on Malaria Vector Research in the Genome Era: Bridging Laboratory, Field Practice, and Control.

International Conferences

• 2024: Invited Participant, INOVEC International Conference on Advances in Surveillance and Control Methods for Aedes-borne Diseases and Urban Vectors, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
• 2019: Invited Speaker, 68th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), USA.
• 2018: Invited Speaker, 5th Pan African Malaria Control Association (PAMCA) Conference, Elephant Hills Resort, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
• 2013: Keynote Speaker, Symposium at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), USA.
• 2013: Invited Speaker, 5th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan-African Conference, Durban, South Africa.
• 2012: Participant, 24th International Congress of Entomology, Daegu, Korea.
• 2012: Invited Speaker, 61st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), Atlanta, USA.
• 2010: Invited Speaker, 59th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), Atlanta, USA.
• 2009: Invited Speaker, 5th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan-African Conference, Nairobi, Kenya.
• 2009: Invited Speaker, British Society for Parasitology (BSP) Spring Malaria Meeting, University of Edinburgh, UK.

PUBLICATIONS:

Dr. Lyimo has authored over 40 peer-reviewed articles in international journals, focusing on various aspects of malaria vector ecology, behavior, and innovative control strategies. His work contributes to advancing integrated approaches for malaria prevention and vector management.

MANUSCRIPT REVIEWS

Dr. Lyimo has served as a peer reviewer for the following scientific journals:

• Scientific Reports
• Parasites & Vectors
• Malaria Journal
• Discover Applied Sciences
• Journal of Parasitology and Vector Biology
• PLOS ONE

FUTURE CAREER PLANS:

Dr. Lyimo aspires to become an internationally recognized research leader in addressing global health challenges. His long-term career goals are aligned with the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 and the Global Vector Control Response 2017–2030, focusing on integrated and sustainable solutions to vector-borne diseases.

His research emphasizes a fundamental understanding of the ecology, biology, and behavior of disease vectors—particularly Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes—and translating this knowledge into novel, integrated vector control strategies, including One Health approaches. His future research agenda includes:

• Vector-host-pathogen interactions: Investigating ecological, behavioral, biochemical, and genetic mechanisms driving interactions between vectors (mosquitoes), vertebrate hosts (humans and animals), and pathogens (parasites and viruses) to inform targeted control strategies.
• Behavior-modifying tools: Identifying and developing novel attractants and odor blends that alter vector behaviors (mating, feeding, oviposition) to design effective odor-baited technologies.
• Landscape and environmental drivers: Assessing how landscape modifications (e.g. climate change, agriculture, livestock husbandry, dam construction, urbanization, deforestation) affect vector ecology and disease transmission, using eco-informatics, population genetics/genomics, GIS, remote sensing, and modeling.
• Innovative vector control technologies: Developing and evaluating new tools and interventions under laboratory, semi-field, and field conditions to generate evidence for dynamic modeling and predict impacts on disease transmission.
• Long-lasting ivermectin for livestock: Evaluating the potential of ivermectin-based interventions for controlling pyrethroid-resistant, zoophilic, and outdoor-biting malaria vectors, while assessing risks and benefits for human health, livestock productivity, environmental safety, and food security.
• Surveillance innovations: Enhancing tools and strategies for monitoring outdoor host-seeking and resting vectors, including Anopheles and Aedes species.
• Insecticide resistance: Studying the causes and impacts of insecticide resistance using bioassays, molecular tools, and genomic analyses.
• Policy and technical contributions: Supporting national and regional vector control policies by providing scientific evidence through his active involvement in the Vector Control Technical Working Group of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Ministry of Health, and One Health Desk under the Prime Minister’s Office in Tanzania.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY ROLES:

Dr. Lyimo holds several professional memberships and advisory roles across national and international scientific communities. His expertise contributes to shaping vector control policies, advancing research, and mentoring future scientists. He currently serves as:

• Member, Vector Control Technical Working Group, National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) and Ministry of Health, Tanzania
• Member, Expert Working Group on Anopheles gambiae biology for risk assessment of transgenic mosquitoes
• Member, Tanzania Entomological Association (TEA)
• Member, Pan African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA)
• Member, British Society for Parasitology (BSP)
• Member, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)
• Member, National Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Control Technical Working Group, Tanzania
• Member, Graduate Committee, Departments of Environmental Sciences, Entomology, and Population Health Sciences, Virginia Tech, USA
• Member, Graduate Examination Committee, Faculty of Life Sciences, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
• Editorial Board Member and Regular Reviewer, Frontiers in Tropical Diseases