Ms Loide Ngolombe
About me
I am a Master’s student in Medical Microbiology, with research focused on analysing the upper respiratory tract microbiome in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection. My broader research interests lie in understanding the role of the human microbiome in respiratory infections. I am particularly passionate about advancing and advocating for human microbiome research in Namibia and across Africa, where locally generated microbiome data remain limited or unavailable in many settings. I hope to contribute to strengthening African microbiome research and generating evidence that better represents African populations.
Loide I. Ngolombe holds an Honours degree in Microbiology from the University of Namibia and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in medical microbiology with a focus on microbiome analysis and COVID-19. Her research interests lie in the fields of microbiome science and infectious diseases, with a particular passion for understanding microbial communities and their role in human health and disease.
She completed an advanced training at the Research Centre Borstel in Germany, where she gained hands on experience in microbiological laboratory techniques, including DNA extraction and library preparation, as well as in data analysis using R programming.
She is currently serving as a Research Assistant at the University of Namibia (School of Medicine) under the H3TB Project, where she contributes to advancing scientific knowledge on tuberculosis and related health challenges through data collection and fieldwork. Driven, curious, and dedicated, Loide is engaged in microbiome research with the aim of contributing insights that may be useful for understanding health issues in Namibia and beyond.