Bridget Bannerman
- Country of Origin: Sierra Leone
- Home University: University of Sierra Leone
- Host University & Country: University of Cambridge - United Kingdom
- PhD Title: Comparative analysis of mRNA metabolism proteins in eukaryotes
- Year of Completion: 2016
PhD Overview
My PhD research, which focused on the comparative analysis of mRNA metabolism proteins in eukaryotes, contributed to the identification of novel drug targets for African sleeping sickness. By exploring the origins of parasitism in eukaryotes, I developed methodologies that have since supported drug discovery efforts in bacteria and viruses. These tools and models are now being used to advance future research against a broad range of pathogens. Key outcomes from this work include: TrypanoCyc: I developed TrypanoCyc, a metabolic pathway database for Trypanosoma species, which helped identify new drug targets for African sleeping sickness. The project was adopted by the neglected tropical disease initiative https://dndi.org/our-people/mike-barrett/ with two new drugs against the disease, and a new drug target from further work based on the results of her PhD – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8220851/ PatMedb: I developed PatMedb, a metabolic model of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to support drug target identification. This work was published in GigaByte in April 2023 (DOI). IdiMap: I created IdiMap, a framework for multispecies reconstructions of eukaryotic mRNA metabolism. This revealed widespread conservation and lineage-specific adaptations across species, and was published in PLOS ONE in 2018 (article).
Sustainability Goals
- Gender Equality
- Good Health and Well-being
- Quality Education
About Me
Dr Bridget Bannerman, a Schlumberger FFTF fellow and research professor at the University of Sierra Leone, specialises in evolutionary and theoretical systems biology. She has spearheaded change in the West African region through workshops, conferences and mentoring programmes organised by the Science Resources Africa (SRA) programme. SRA started as a charity programme in 2019, operating from Sierra Leone and has expanded its reach in Sub-Saharan Africa (https://www.scienceresourcesafrica.com/_files/ugd/9cd06c_6059ed9f9c0f4d7191fee98ccc19b9f3.pdf). Specifically, Dr Bannerman transformed the research landscape in Guinea-Bissau through years of mentoring and workshops in the region from SRA and collaborations with the Rector of the Jean Piaget University (JPU) in the country. In 2019, she organised The SRA Bioinformatics and Open Lab Drug Discovery Conference and workshop, 3rd to 5th December, The Gambia, which was widely attended participants from around Africa, including Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau. She used the programme to strengthen the relationships between researchers in the region. The SRA Open lab drug discovery conference was sponsored by Mott MacDonald, Cambridge-Africa alborada programme, Royal Society, CRI, Paris, European Bioinformatics Institute and the Wellcome Trust. In December 2019, she organized the SRA Bioinformatics and Open Lab Drug Discovery Conference and Workshop in The Gambia, which drew participants from across Africa, including Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau. This event, sponsored by Mott MacDonald, the Cambridge-Africa Alborada program, Royal Society, CRI Paris, European Bioinformatics Institute, and the Wellcome Trust, strengthened regional research collaborations and prepared the researchers in the region for the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the pandemic in 2020, Dr. Bannerman travelled to the region to enhance collaborations between the Medical Research Council (MRC) in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and surrounding areas. Her efforts, supported by the United Nations office in Guinea-Bissau during tribal conflict, facilitated the movement of stranded MRC Gambian researchers to initiate COVID-19 sequencing activities in Guinea-Bissau. In 2022, she played a pivotal role in accrediting JPU Guinea-Bissau’s medical school in the World Medical Directory through the SRA program and personally supported extensive 1:1 mentoring programmes for early-career researchers in Guinea-Bissau for years. Subsequently, in 2024, Dr. Bannerman was appointed as a research professor in Sierra Leone, leading a community health program and continuing to support regional initiatives. Dr. Bannerman has also initiated collaborations with Project ECHO, the WHO International Pathogen Surveillance Network, and members of the CRUK sponsored Alliance for Cancer Early Detection (ACED) program. Together, they are launching a tele-health program to support medical practitioners and early-career researchers in Sierra Leone.