Grantina Modern: a researcher committed to children's health

Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Grantina Modern Andrew, a PhD fellow at the University of Dar es Salaam under the Excellence in Africa (EXAF) 100 PhDs Program, 2nd cohort. I also serve as an Assistant Lecturer at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST). My academic background is in biomedical sciences, and my current research focuses on the gut microbiome and its role in child stunting. Previously, I worked on Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED) biomarkers as potential indicators of child growth outcomes.

Beyond research, I am deeply engaged in scientific advocacy, with several publications in peer-reviewed journals and experience securing competitive research grants. I am passionate about STEM education and public health, and I dedicate time to mentorship and career guidance for young scientists. On a personal note, I am a proud mother, which further strengthens my commitment to advancing child health research.

How did you hear about the Excellence in Africa initiative's 100 PhDs programme?
I first learned about the Excellence in Africa 100 PhDs Programme through colleagues at my institution, who shared the call for applications with me. Their encouragement and the visibility of the initiative within academic circles inspired me to explore the opportunity further.

What prompted you to apply?
As both a researcher and a mother, I was seeking an opportunity that would allow me to advance my academic career without being separated from my family for an extended period. The EXAF 100 PhDs Programme provided the perfect balance: the chance to pursue a PhD in my home country while benefiting from international exposure, joint supervision, and short research visits to EPFL.

This structure gives me the peace of mind to focus fully on my studies while also fulfilling my family responsibilities. Beyond the personal dimension, I was motivated by the programme’s emphasis on building African scientific capacity through collaborative research, which aligns closely with my career aspirations.

Was the application process easy for you?
Yes, the application process was clear and straightforward. The only minor challenge I faced was with currency conversion from Tanzanian Shillings to Swiss Francs, but aside from that, the process was smooth and well-structured.

Can you describe your project? What is/are your research question(s)?
Since 2018, my research has focused on exploring medical perspectives for reducing child stunting. In earlier work, I demonstrated that beyond food insecurity, factors such as water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH), together with gut dysfunction (Environmental Enteric Dysfunction – EED), play a critical role in growth faltering among children.

For my PhD project, I have turned my focus to the Iringa region of Tanzania, one of the country’s leading food-producing areas. Despite its agricultural abundance, the region continues to experience high stunting rates—with prevalence reaching up to 56.9% in some areas, compared to the national average of 28% in 2022. This paradox highlights the need to look beyond food availability and examine other biological and environmental determinants of growth.

My project therefore investigates the gut microbiome as a potential key factor. Specifically, my research question is:“Can the gut bacteriome profile serve as a possible biomarker for growth in children under two years of age in the Iringa region of Tanzania?”

By addressing this question, the study aims to generate insights that could guide innovative and sustainable interventions for tackling childhood stunting in Tanzania and beyond.

Could you give some practical applications of your research?
By characterizing the gut bacteriome, this study aims to identify biomarkers and modifiable gut-health factors that can inform interventions to prevent growth faltering in children. One potential pathway is through probiotics and microbiome-stimulating foods—such as yogurt, Kombucha, or locally available fermented products—that can restore microbial balance, strengthen intestinal barrier function, and enhance nutrient absorption in at-risk children.

The findings will be translated into policy and community action. Results will be shared with the Ministry of Health, regional authorities, and local leaders who granted ethical approval, ensuring alignment with national nutrition and child health priorities. We will prepare policy briefs and workshops to highlight the role of the gut microbiome in stunting, providing evidence-based recommendations for microbiome-targeted interventions.

At the community level, training sessions for community health workers (CHWs) will equip them with knowledge to counsel parents on nutrition, hygiene, and microbiome-supportive practices. Parents and guardians will also benefit from education sessions and demonstrations on feeding practices and the use of probiotic-rich foods, fostering sustainable behavior change.

Beyond immediate interventions, the research will contribute to regional and global knowledge, supporting collaborations and informing the integration of microbiome-based strategies into national nutrition programs. In the longer term, the data generated could lay the foundation for diagnostic tool development, enabling early detection of EED and stunting risk, and could expand into longitudinal cohort studies to better understand long-term effects on growth, immunity, and cognitive development.

What is the scientific challenge of your research topic?
Conducting community-based research comes with several challenges. One of the key barriers is community acceptance and participation. Some families are hesitant to provide stool samples due to cultural beliefs, the collection and transport of fecal samples from the field to distant laboratories is often associated with cultural misconceptions and beliefs in witchcraft. As a result, some participants are reluctant to allow their children’s stool samples to be taken outside their wards or region. Nowadays, the community members expect financial compensation for participation, similar to what local leaders and community health workers (CHWs) receive for mobilization. Overcoming these concerns requires sustained community engagement, sensitization, and trust-building.

Another challenge lies in the technical aspects of sample collection and analysis. Transporting fecal samples from rural field sites to distant laboratories is logistically complex and costly. In addition, the high cost of sequencing in-country poses a significant limitation. Fortunately, through the short research stays at the EPFL MACE Laboratory, I am able to access world-class sequencing facilities, helping to overcome this barrier.

Finally, there is a knowledge gap at the community level. Many parents and leaders perceive stunting solely as a consequence of food insecurity, with limited awareness of the role of water, sanitation, hygiene (WaSH) and the gut microbiome. Addressing this challenge requires continuous sensitization and education to broaden the understanding of stunting and its multifactorial causes.

Could you briefly introduce your supervisor and co-supervisor?
Dr. Kilaza Samson Mwaikono, my supervisor, is a bioinformatics researcher specializing in human-associated microbiomes. He holds a PhD in Health and Medical Biosciences from the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Tanzania. His academic journey includes an MSc in Quality and Analytical Laboratories from the University of Algarve, Portugal, and the University of Cádiz, Spain, and a BSc in Food Science and Technology from Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania. Dr. Mwaikono further honed his expertise through a postdoctoral fellowship in bioinformatics at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. His research focuses on leveraging microbiome approaches for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of both communicable and non-communicable diseases in Tanzania.

In our collaborative project, Dr. Mwaikono supervises all aspects of the research conducted in Tanzania. This includes overseeing fieldwork, laboratory procedures such as DNA extraction, and data analysis. His extensive experience in bioinformatics and microbiome research ensures the project's scientific rigor and relevance to local health challenges.

Prof. Ianina Altshuler, my co-supervisor, is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at EPFL, leading the Microbiome Adaptation to the Changing Environment (MACE) laboratory at the Alpine and Polar Environmental Research Centre (ALPOLE). She joined EPFL in August 2022, bringing a wealth of experience in environmental microbiology. Prof. Altshuler completed her PhD in Environmental Microbiology at McGill University, focusing on microbial responses to climate warming in Arctic permafrost soils. Her postdoctoral work at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences involved developing greenhouse gas mitigation strategies in agriculture through engineering specialized microbial communities.

In our project, Prof. Altshuler supervises the sequencing component of the research. Her laboratory at EPFL provides the infrastructure and expertise necessary for high-throughput sequencing, ensuring the generation of quality genomic data. Additionally, she contributes to the dissemination of our findings, assisting in the development of strategies to share our results with the broader scientific community and stakeholders.

What are the advantages of co-supervision between your supervisor in Africa and your co-supervisor at EPFL?
The collaborative supervision model offers a multifaceted approach that significantly enhances the quality and impact of my doctoral research. Dr. Mwaikono's extensive experience in bioinformatics and human-associated microbiomes, coupled with his deep understanding of the Tanzanian health landscape, provides invaluable insights into the local context of my research. His guidance ensures that the study is both scientifically rigorous and culturally relevant. Prof. Altshuler, with her expertise in environmental microbiology and microbial adaptation to climate change, brings a global perspective to the project. Her advanced laboratory facilities at EPFL enable high-throughput sequencing and sophisticated data analysis, facilitating a comprehensive examination of microbial communities.

This co-supervision arrangement allows for a seamless integration of field-based research in Tanzania with state-of-the-art sequencing techniques in Switzerland. Dr. Mwaikono oversees the collection and processing of biological samples, including DNA extraction, ensuring that the data are of the highest quality. Prof. Altshuler's supervision of the sequencing process at EPFL guarantees that the molecular data are analyzed using cutting-edge methodologies, leading to robust and reproducible results. Both supervisors actively contribute to the dissemination of research findings.

The international nature of this co-supervision enriches my academic experience by exposing me to diverse research environments and methodologies. It fosters professional growth through mentorship from two distinguished researchers and provides opportunities to build a global professional network, which is invaluable for future collaborations and career development.

How will the collaboration with EPFL help you meet the scientific challenge described in the previous question?
Collaboration with EPFL significantly helps address the scientific challenges of conducting community-based microbiome research in Tanzania. One of the key obstacles is the high cost of sequencing technologies. With EPFL, I gain access to state-of-the-art sequencing platforms, which allows for high-throughput and reliable analysis of fecal samples collected from the field. This overcomes the barrier of expensive sequencing locally, ensuring the generation of robust and high-quality microbiome data.

Additionally, EPFL’s support complements the work being done in Tanzania, including fieldwork, sample collection, and laboratory processing, including DNA extraction. Sequencing at EPFL ensures that the samples are analyzed using advanced methodologies, bridging the gap between local collection and global-level analysis. This integrated approach improves the scientific rigor of the study while maintaining sensitivity to the local context and logistical constraints.

Finally, the collaboration strengthens the overall impact of the research by providing evidence-based data that can inform community sensitization and education efforts. The advanced sequencing results help explain the multifactorial causes of stunting beyond food insecurity, raising awareness among parents, local leaders, and health workers about the role of the gut microbiome and other environmental factors. Together, the combined expertise and resources from Tanzania and EPFL enable the project to overcome both logistical and knowledge-based barriers, ultimately facilitating meaningful participation and high-quality research outcomes.

Can we talk about your stay in Switzerland? Was it easy to prepare your site for Switzerland?
I have not yet traveled to the EPFL MACE Laboratory. My initial visit was scheduled for August 9th, 2025, for a six-month period, but we agreed with my co-supervisor to postpone it to the same time in 2026. This decision was primarily to accommodate traveling with my daughter, as there are additional logistical and financial considerations for her living expenses in Switzerland, which I am currently arranging with my partner since the program covers only my stay. Traveling with her is necessary because my partner works in a different city, and my family members are unable to provide care due to their own commitments, including her schooling.

Despite these challenges, I have been actively preparing for my stay by coordinating with my co-supervisor and planning the logistics of the research visit, so that once in Switzerland, I can fully focus on the sequencing work and collaborative aspects of the project.

What does excellence mean to you?
To me, excellence within the EXAF 100 PhD program means having the opportunity to work in an environment that combines world-class technologies with outstanding mentorship. It involves access to advanced facilities, guidance from leading researchers, and a supportive academic community that fosters learning, innovation, and professional growth. Excellence also encompasses structured support, including financial aid, which enables me to accomplish significant research milestones without undue logistical or economic barriers. Ultimately, it is about advancing my scientific career while contributing high-quality, impactful research in a stimulating and well-resourced setting.