Clinical Research

Bio

Kath Maitland's research excellence spans the entire translational cycle; from the bench through to clinical investigation and ultimately change in clinical practice and healthcare policy. In the challenging environment of the rural hospital emergency rooms in Africa, her team has conducted high-quality physiological studies and clinical trials generating the essential evidence base for patient management and informing both national and international policy. She has led large multicentre trials examining key supportive treatments for critically sick children including the ground-breaking fluid resuscitation (FEAST) and transfusion (TRACT) trials both bring new high-quality evidence leading to refinements of the guidelines. The childrens oxygen strategy trial (COAST) brought new understanding in oxygen therapy and non-invasive ventilation strategies. She is a Professor of Paediatric Tropical Infectious Diseases at the Faculty of Medicine and Director of the ICCARE Centre at the Global Centre of Health Innovation, Imperial College, London and an Honorary Fellow at MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College, London.

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Current Work

Currently I am leading a Wellcome funded Severe Malaria Africa – A consortium for Research and Trials (SMAART) consortium which is a multi-disciplinary team whose membership includes world leaders in severe malaria and experts in clinical trials with track records of successful high quality and collaborative research programmes across the continent. The overarching aim of SMAART is to improve outcomes from severe malaria in African children (since one in ten hospitalised with severe malaria continue to die by conducting better research studies faster. In severe malnutrition (SAM) we have ‘deconstructed’ key physiological elements’ provided definitive evidence to show that myocardial function in children with SAM is not aberrant and investigated fluid management, specifically in children with dehydrating diarrhoea. I am part of a large collaboration (https://www.imperial.ac.uk/hunger-project/) which have provided multiple lines of evidence indicating that there are several domains of gut function are aberrant. Our ultimate aim is to investigate whether a locally-manufactured feed incorporating legumes as a lactose-free, fermentable carbohydrate-containing alternatives, aimed at supporting global gut function compared to traditional milk-based SAM formulae, can reduce mortality. Fermentable carbohydrates provide a rich source of long chain fatty acids which improve the composition of normal gut microbes and positively influence immunological and metabolic function of the gut.

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Recent publications

High false discovery rate of the Architect anti-HCV screening test in blood donors in Uganda and evaluation of an algorithm for confirmatory testing.
Lucey, O., Acana, S., Olupot-Olupot, P., Muhindo, R., Ayikobua, R., Uyoga, S., Kyeyune-Byabazaire, D., Cooke, G., Maitland, K.
Vox Sang, (2022). 117:1360-1367

Improving the diagnosis of severe malaria in African children using platelet counts and plasma PfHRP2 concentrations.
Watson, J. A., Uyoga, S., Wanjiku, P., Makale, J., Nyutu, G. M., Mturi, N., George, E. C., Woodrow, C. J., Day, N. P. J., Bejon, P., Opoka, R. O., Dondorp, A. M., John, C. C., Maitland, K., Williams, T. N., White, N. J.
Sci Transl Med, (2022). 14:eabn5040

BIRC6 modifies risk of invasive bacterial infection in Kenyan children.
Gilchrist, J. J., Kariuki, S. N., Watson, J. A., Band, G., Uyoga, S., Ndila, C. M., Mturi, N., Mwarumba, S., Mohammed, S., Mosobo, M., Alasoo, K., Rockett, K. A., Mentzer, A. J., Kwiatkowski, D. P., Hill, A. V. S., Maitland, K., Scott, J. A. G., Williams, T. N.
Elife, (2022). 11:e77461

The impact of malaria-protective red blood cell polymorphisms on parasite biomass in children with severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
Uyoga, S., Watson, J. A., Wanjiku, P., Rop, J. C., Makale, J., Macharia, A. W., Kariuki, S. N., Nyutu, G. M., Shebe, M., Mosobo, M., Mturi, N., Rockett, K. A., Woodrow, C. J., Dondorp, A. M., Maitland, K., White, N. J., Williams, T. N.
Nat Commun, (2022). 13:3307

Sickle cell anaemia and severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria: a secondary analysis of the Transfusion and Treatment of African Children Trial (TRACT).
Uyoga, S., Olupot-Olupot, P., Connon, R., Kiguli, S., Opoka, R. O., Alaroker, F., Muhindo, R., Macharia, A. W., Dondorp, A. M., Gibb, D. M., Walker, A. S., George, E. C., Maitland, K., Williams, T. N.
Lancet Child Adolesc Health, (2022). 6:606-613