Sikhulile Moyo’s Botswana Lab became the first to identify Omicron variant

Sikhulile Moyorecent article from the Boston Globe details how the lab of Sikhulile Moyo became one of the first to identify the infamous COVID strain with multiple mutations later dubbed ‘Omicron’.  In addition to serving as laboratory director of the Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership in Gaborone, Botswana, Moyo was also a McGoldrick fellow who studied in the Biostatistics Department in 2010. The Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership was established in 1996 as a collaboration between the Harvard School of Public Health and the Botswana Ministry of Health. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the partnership aims to build the country’s ability to research and treat AIDS in Africa through training and mentorship Moyo, who returned from Harvard to Africa inspired “to do great science” is demonstrating the value and wider applicability of his biostatistical training. The Botswana Harvard Aids Institute has grown and strengthened over the years, and the laboratory was well-positioned to pivot to PCR testing and genome sequencing of COVID-19 samples when the pandemic struck. For more on Moyo, his role in identifying the new variant, and his other passions, check out the Globe article.