KidneyGenAfrica | Chronic kidney disease Africa | Genetics research in Africa | Capacity building and training Africa

Bio

Dr Walt Adamson is a Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Glasgow. His work focuses on how infectious diseases impact populations in sub-Saharan Africa and its diaspora, with a particular emphasis on the humanAPOL1 gene and the roles its variants play in human African trypanosomiasis and noncommunicable disease .

He has worked extensively with UK Biobank data, identifying novel genotype-specific associations between APOL1 variants and noncommunicable disease risk, and highlighting the G1/G2 genotype as particularly deleterious. Walt collaborates closely with partners in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly to investigate the burden of human African trypanosomiasis in disease foci, and the impact of APOL1 variants on noncommunicable disease in a sub-Saharan African context. He is also strongly committed to public engagement: working to build trust, improve awareness, and promote prevention, testing, and treatment in affected communities.