Dr. Marriott Nliwasa

Marriott Nliwasa is an infectious diseases researcher based in Southern Africa whose work focuses on tuberculosis and HIV in high-burden, resource-limited settings. Affiliated with leading regional research institutions and collaborating across Africa and internationally, this scholar contributes to multicentre clinical and diagnostic studies aimed at improving outcomes for vulnerable populations, particularly children and people living with HIV.

Research centres on innovative diagnostics for paediatric and extrapulmonary tuberculosis, including host gene expression signatures, transcriptomic biomarkers, point-of-care RT-qPCR platforms, and immunodiagnostic assays for tuberculous meningitis. Contributions to major multicountry initiatives such as RaPaed-TB have advanced evidence on optimal sampling strategies, parallel testing approaches, and novel cartridges using fingerstick blood, strengthening microbiological confirmation in hard-to-diagnose groups.

Additional work addresses drug-resistant TB case-finding strategies, sputum microbiome dynamics during anti-tuberculosis therapy, latent TB biomarkers, maternal bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance, and determinants of viral suppression among young people living with HIV. Collectively, this portfolio reflects strong expertise in translational diagnostics, epidemiology, and implementation-focused research designed to inform policy and clinical practice in endemic regions.