The Transition Program in Clinical Research (TPCR), housed in laboratories in Rockville and at the NIAID International Center of Excellence in Research (ICER) Cambodia, integrates innovative ideas like vector-targeted immunological strategies and cutting-edge technologies like pathogen metagenomic sequencing into traditional epidemiological studies in Southeast Asia. Together, the team aims to apply and translate our findings to inform public health and disease prevention measures like vector control as well as vaccine development and implementation.
Jessica E. Manning, M.D., M.Sc.
Assistant Clinical Investigator, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research
Science Attaché, U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh and NIAID ICER CAMBODIA
Specialty(s): Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center
Education:
M.D., Emory University School of Medicine
M.Sc., Harvard School of Public Health
Dr. Manning earned her medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine and her Master of Science in Epidemiology from Harvard School of Public Health. She completed the Doris and Howard Hiatt Residency in Global Health Equity and Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital while a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School. From 2008 to 2015, she lived and worked in Africa and...
Sophana Chea
Laboratory Manager
Education:
Master of Medical Biology, University of Health Sciences
Languages Spoken: Khmer
Mr. Sophana has worked on molecular biology work in pathogen metagenomic NGS in febrile patients, bats, macaques and dengue microbiome; the mNGS identification of the AMR gene maker and the immunology work in the Aedes Saliva ELISA, DENV ZIKV PRNT.
Cheata Hou
Assistant Laboratory Technician
Education:
Bachelor’s degree, Pharmacy, University of Health Sciences.
Languages Spoken: Khmer, Mandarin, French
Ms. Cheata has performed molecular work on DNA/RNA extraction, realtime RT-PCR, cDNA library preparation, metagenomic next generation sequencing. Her work is also to maintain bio-specimen inventory including updated spreadsheets for locating all samples generated from fields sites or laboratory assays.
Sreyngim Lay
Sequencing Lead Technician
Education:
Bachelor’s degree, Medical Laboratory, University of Health Sciences
Languages Spoken: Khmer
Ms. Sreyngim has worked on pathogen metagenomic next-generation sequencing in febrile patients, bat, macaque. AMR maker identification using mNGS. She’s interested in molecular biology research.
Chanthap Lon
Medical Research Scientist/Chief Field Operation
Education:
Doctor of General Medicine, Faculty of Medicine
Master of Clinical Tro-Med, Tropical Medicine of Mahidol University
Languages Spoken: Khmer
Piseth Ly
Laboratory Technician
Education:
Master of Management, National University of Management
Bachelor’s degree, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Western University
Associate degree, Medical Lab Technology, University of Health Science
Languages Spoken: Khmer
Ms. Piseth has performed immunological assay such as ELISA, western blots, protein qualification, PRNTs, flow cytometry, additional bio molecular DNA/RNA extraction, cDNA library pre-training other on immunodiagnostic assay and manage immunoassay workflow, manage human sera, processing, storage, and lab inventory supply, reagents for research program. Her work also includes preparing technical...
Sokna Ly
Clinical Field Coordinator
Education:
Diploma in Midwifery, Chenla University
Languages Spoken: Khmer
Ms. Sokna is a Clinical Field Coordinator under CNM CA for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Health, working on different studies of IDseq, PAGODA, PINCH, and eASIA.
Somnang Man
Laboratory Technician
Education:
Bachelor’s degree, Medical Laboratory, University of Health Sciences
Languages Spoken: Khmer
Mr. Somnang has worked on PRNT, PBMC, ELISA and inventory management.
Sreynik Nhek
Laboratory Technician
Education:
Bachelor’s degree, Medical Laboratory, University of Health Sciences
Languages Spoken: Khmer
Ms. Sreynik has worked on dissect mosquito salivary gland for use in ELISA, western blots, and sequencing. Her work is also to perform ELISA assays, western blots, protein quantification, and other procedures in the laboratory for the project such as PAGODAS, IDSEQ, eASIA and PINCH.
Fabiano Oliveira, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Scientist, Staff Scientist
Education:
Ph.D., Human Pathology, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil
M.D., Medical School of the Federal University of Bahia, Bahia, Brazil
Languages Spoken: Portuguese, Spanish
Dr. Fabiano Oliveira earned his M.D., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees from the Federal University of Bahia/ Fiocruz. In 2003, he joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a postdoctoral fellowship and was appointed as a staff scientist in 2008. Dr. Oliveira currently serves as an associate scientist/staff scientist at the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID. Dr. Oliveira's clinical...
Vunsokserey Ou
Data Manager
Education:
Bachelor’s degree, Computer Science and Engineering, Royal University of Phnom Penh
Languages Spoken: Khmer
Mr. Serey has worked on daily check of data quality of project study, data extractions based on the requirement and coordinated with teamwork in terms of data capture through an online database or other work-related.
Mengheng Oum
Laboratory Technician
Education:
Bachelor's degree
Languages Spoken: Khmer
Andrea R. Pacheco, B.A.
Post-baccalaureate Research Fellow
Education:
B.A., Medicine, Literature & Society, Columbia University
Languages Spoken: Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic
Samphors Pho
Office Manager
Education:
Bachelor’s degree, Banking and Finance & English for Business, Royal University of Law and Economics
Languages Spoken: Khmer
Ms. Samphors has overseen the daily operations of an office such as procurement, finance, human resources, and administration. She’s prepared the monthly budget requests and budget summary reports, monthly payroll, annual budget reports, and tracking of leave records for all employees and provided full range of support on administrative such as correspondence, travel arrangements, a report...
Roberto M. Salas-Carrillo, B.S.
Post-bacc IRTA
Education:
B.S., Microbiology, The University of Texas at El Paso
Languages Spoken: Spanish
Mr. Roberto got his degree in microbiology from the University of Texas at El Paso, where the work involved two different research projects as a building Scholars recipient. In summer 2019, he was part of the UT Southwestern SURF Program cohort in the Cardiology Department, in Dr. Joseph Hill’s lab. Currently, he is an IRTA Postbaccalaureate working in Dr. Jessica’s Manning’s lab, where he is...
Ratanak Sath
Clinical Field Coordinator
Education:
Associate degree, Laboratory, Chenla University
Languages Spoken: Khmer, Chinese
Mr. Ratanak is a Clinical Coordinator of National Institute of Health (NIH), working on collecting samples at the field, communicating, and coordinating with patients, hospital staff and community.
Sothy Soeung, M.B.A.
Public Health Admin Management Assistant
Education:
M.B.A., Asian Institute of Technology
Languages Spoken: Khmer
Ms. Sothy has coordinated administrative, logistics and financial aspect for research project and assisting with protocol application reports submission and ensure accuracy and quality submission to ethic committee, including filing system, consolidating comments, assisting and monitoring site visits and correspondence. Her work is also to provide assistance to NIAID Science Attaché for scientific...
Gechlang Tang, B.S.
Assistant Laboratory Technician
Education:
Bachelor's degree, Bioengineering, Royal University of Phnom Penh
Languages Spoken: Khmer, Mandarin
Ms. Gechlang has performed molecular work: DNA/RNA extraction, real-time PCR, cDNA library preparation, metagenomic next-generation sequencing and maintained the bio-specimen and supply inventory. Her work is also to analyze data and prepare monthly reports of results.
Kevin Tang, B.S.
Postbaccalaureate IRTA
Education:
Bachelor’s degree, Bioinformatics, Hunter College
Rathna Tim, B.S.
Clinical Nurse
Education:
B.S., Nursing, International University
Languages Spoken: Khmer
Ms. Rathna has worked on characterization of febrile disease landscape in Cambodia via metagenomic pathogen sequencing.
Christina Yek, M.B.B.Ch.
Clinical Fellow
Education:
M.B.B.Ch., University of Cambridge
Languages Spoken: Spanish, Catalan, Mandarin
Dr. Christina is using (metagenomic) next-generation sequencing and serologic tests to study the epidemiology of various infectious diseases (arboviral disease, zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance) in Cambodia.
Laura Willen, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., Parasitology, Charles University
Languages Spoken: Dutch, French, German
Dr. Laura has expertise in studying the immune response against insect vector saliva, including sand flies, blackflies, and mosquitoes with the focus on the identification of serological biomarkers of host exposure that can be employed in evaluating vector control strategies and unravelling the epidemiology of infectious diseases transmitted by these vectors. Currently her main focus is to parse...
