Researchers/Supervisors
William Kilembe
Rwanda Zambia Health Research Group (RZHRG) Ndola, Zambia
William Kilembe is a Project Director at the Center for Family Health Research in Zambia (CFHRZ) in Lusaka, Zambia, which is part of the Rwanda Zambia Health Research Group (RZHRG) network. He trained as a medical doctor at the University of Zambia School of Medicine and holds an MSc in Clinical Trials and an MSc in Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
His research focuses on HIV vaccine development, including the characterization of transmitted founder viruses and the corresponding immune responses. He has led epidemiological studies and clinical trials involving prospective cohorts of stable heterosexual couples and women at elevated risk of HIV infection, with the aim of identifying and mitigating HIV acquisition risk factors.
He has also contributed to research on acute immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, the natural history of COVID-19, and has been involved in COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutic clinical trials. Through his work at CFHRZ, he aims to develop cost-effective public health strategies to address infectious diseases affecting communities in Zambia and the broader region.