THE HAVELAAR LAB

Ongoing Projects

CAGED strives to determine the reservoirs and pathways associated with Campylobacter  infections in young children. These bacterial infections are known to impact child health by impairing the gut microbiome, nutrition, and growth.  Current research has indicated that the high prevalence of Campylobacter  in early childhood is associated with adverse child health outcomes such as stunting and environmental enteric dysfunction. 

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded this study is progressing into the longitudinal phase, aiming to address three objectives: 

Assess the prevalence, species composition, and genomic diversity of thermotolerant and non-thermotolerant Campylobacter  species in young children, adults, livestock, and other reservoirs in rural eastern Ethiopia.  
Determine the attribution of Campylobacter  infections in young children to humans, livestock, and environmental reservoirs based on the genetic population of Campylobacter species.  
Assess the associations among the presence of Campylobacter  species, gut microflora, and adverse child health outcomes such as stunting and environmental enteric dysfunction.

In addition to understanding the pathways related to Campylobacter, this project aims to promote capacity building opportunities with local collaborators through cross-training in microbiology and social science concepts and skills. It also looks to, promotes adaptive learning, including assisting with laboratory methods through the supply of lab equipment, expert guidance, and reagents for all testing purposes.

This project is led by preeminent professor, Dr. Arie Havelaar from the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems, Emerging Pathogens Institute and Animal Sciences Department, and Dr. Sarah Mckune, Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Global Health and the Center for African Studies. This project requires support from various collaborators including Haramaya University, (Dire Dawa, Ethiopia), Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio, USA), Washington University, (St. Louis, Missouri, USA), and Massey University (, Palmerston North, New Zealand).

If you are interested in learning more, click here.

Researchers return to continue field work for healthy infants in Ethiopia

Research involving infants is very complicated, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made such research extremely challenging. Through persistent dedication, the international team on the CAGED (CAmpylobacter Genomics and Environmental Enteric Dysfunction) project has been able to pick up its work with newborns in eastern Ethiopia again. In spite of various challenges, Amada Ojeda, the project coordinator from the University of Florida, courageously went to Ethiopia in December 2020 to kickstart activities that had been set aside due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team even adapted its new biosafety level two laboratory to serve as a COVID-19 testing facility while continuing the project. This flexibility demonstrates a strong commitment to serving the local population. Led by Arie Havelaar at the University of Florida, the project’s team includes researchers at Ethiopia’s Haramaya University, the Ohio State University, Washington University in St. Louis, US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Massey University in New Zealand. Read the full blog entry here.