Profile
Sainabou Laye Ndure is a PhD student at Queen Mary University of London, working on polygenic risk scores and rare disease genes within the Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI). She is the Founder and Chairperson of the Human Genetics Awareness Association (HuGAA), an organization dedicated to raising awareness, destigmatising genetic diseases, and promoting equitable access to genomic testing and research infrastructure across Africa.
Sainabou earned her Master’s in Genomic Medicine from the University of Oxford, funded by the AfOx-Mastercard Award, and was the first Gambian admitted to the both the funding body, and the program. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Eastern Mediterranean University, where she graduated as the top student in her department.
Her research experience spans human genomic databases, SARS-CoV-2 studies, and translational genomics. She previously served as a Scientific Officer in the Genomics Platform at the Medical Research Council Gambia (MRCG) and worked at The Global Health Network (Oxford, UK) as an AfOx Ubuntu Fellow and Project Coordinator until September 2025, working on projects including the ODIN Wastewater Project, the Pathogen Variants Network, and knowledge hubs such as the Data Science Hub and Outbreaks Hub.
Sainabou is passionate about capacity building, inclusive genomic research, and knowledge dissemination. Through HuGAA, she fosters partnerships between African communities and global research institutions, advocating for increased representation of African populations in genomics and the integration of genetic testing and precision medicine into healthcare.