How my Manchester master’s will aid research into HIV in Malawi

Michael Magwira is a molecular laboratory scientist from Malawi, and a recent graduate of the MSc Medical and Molecular Virology course at Manchester. Here, Michael talks about receiving support through an Equity and Merit Scholarship, and how the course will help him to better understand the HIV pandemic in his home country.

Prior to applying to The University of Manchester, I spent a considerable amount of time researching the standards of teaching and facilities available at a number of UK universities.

When I received notification via the Equity and Merit Facebook page about the scholarship, Manchester rose to the top of my list as it had everything I was looking for, from my education to the environment I wished to study in.

I then spoke to few Equity and Merit alumni from Uganda and Tanzania who had nothing but positive things to say. Two highlights of their feedback that encouraged me to apply were the high standards of teaching and the support available at the University.

Studying at Manchester

I completed my MSc in Medical and Molecular Virology with a distinction. The course has given me abundant knowledge of viruses’ biology, specifically from the perspectives of the viral genome, proteome, and structure-function relationships.

I have also developed a wide base of professional and interpersonal skills that I will take forward into my workplace.

The support that the University gives to its students is overwhelming. It is centred around the wellbeing of the students. The lifestyle in Manchester is very diverse and inclusive. Regardless of your nationality, you will always find someone to talk to.

Apart from good entertainment and football exposure, the road and transport networks make it easy to access the University from all around the city.

What I will do next

I want to use the expertise I have developed to characterise the HIV pandemic in Malawi. I will combine this information with evolutionary and geographic data to understand the epidemiology of HIV in heavily affected areas. This will have implications for future transmission and control.

While there have been advancements and discoveries in suppressive antiretroviral therapy for HIV, viral reservoir persists in individuals living with HIV, and prevalence remains high, causing a substantial public health burden, especially in Malawi.

Improved laboratory technologies backed with genomic data and approaches to understanding the nature of HIV’s biology that affects the Malawian population would be key to driving down the current HIV burden.

This would be achieved through applying expertise in molecular biology, epidemiology, and bioinformatics evaluations to unearth insights into HIV constraints that can be employed to comprehend and potentially forecast the process of evolution. Thus, such knowledge would be helpful in the control of HIV.

I will use my professional network in Malawi, experience in molecular biology techniques and computation skills to plan and execute a project titled ‘Understanding the HIV pandemic in Malawi using genomic, structural and geographic data’ with high scientific, safety and quality standards. This will be in addition to my position as a molecular laboratory scientist.

Learn more about postgraduate study in medicine at Manchester.