Background
Dr. Magellan Tchouakui is a leading Cameroonian entomologist and Wellcome Trust Early Career Fellow in Infection and Immunobiology at the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM). After earning his PhD in Animal Biology and Physiology from the University of Yaoundé I in 2020, under the supervision of Professors Charles Wondji and Flobert Njiokou, Dr. Tchouakui has established himself as an expert in malaria vector biology, insecticide resistance, and vector control. His research has been pivotal in elucidating the fitness costs and genetic mechanisms underlying metabolic resistance in major African malaria vectors, particularly Anopheles species.
Dr. Tchouakui has secured several prestigious grants, including a five-year Wellcome Trust award to investigate resistance-associated fitness costs and their genetic modifiers. He has contributed over 70 peer-reviewed publications, advancing knowledge in mosquito ecology, resistance monitoring, and evaluating new vector control tools. His work has informed the development and field testing of innovative insecticide formulations, supporting collaborations with global health organizations and industry partners. As co-lead of the Unitaid-funded CANVeCT project at CRID, Magellan is driving an innovative five-year multidisciplinary cluster randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of spatial emanators, both standalone and in combination with insecticide-treated nets in reducing malaria transmission. The project, delivered in partnership with LSTM and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, directly addresses WHO’s conditional recommendation for spatial repellent use and aims to generate high-impact evidence for integrating new vector control tools into African malaria elimination strategies.
Research:
| There is currently little operational evidence of the efficacy of resistance management strategies such as rotation or mixture in malaria endemic countries preventing NMCP to implement suitable resistance management strategies. As newer insecticides are gradually recommended for public health, it now becomes urgent to improve our understanding of the effectiveness of various IR management strategies. My Research focuses on: i)-Characterising the fitness cost of insecticide resistance and ii) elucidating the molecular basis of resistance to novel insecticides in malaria vectors to achieve successful malaria control. |
- Areas of interest:
Disease vectors, malaria, agricultural pests, Anopheles, Fitness cost, Insecticide resistance, Insecticide resistance management, functional genomics, transcriptomics, modelling
- Research Areas:
Fitness cost of insecticide resistance and molecular basis of resistance to novel insecticides in malaria vectors
- PhD Students:
Dr Tchouakui contributes in the training of young scientist and by mentoring a group of Ph.D and Master’s students:
1-Natchema Fonkou Brice,
2-Lamo Sonia,
3-Tepa Arnaud,
4-Tazokong Hervé,
5-Mahamat Gadji,
6-Tagne Djoko Carlos
7-Metissa Fleuriane,
8-Thiomela Ricardo,
9-Tientcheu Claudine Raissa,
10-Bebert Fotso,
11-Wilfried Toutcha.
Other relevant expertise, professional memberships
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Serves as reviewer for various scientific journals such as: 1. Scientific reports 2. PLOS-One 3. Scientifific reports 4. Parasites and vectors, 5. Plos Negleted Tropical Diseases 6. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, etc Member of scientific and learned societies: 1. American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH); 2. The US-UK Collab 3. RCN: Vector Behavior in Transmission Ecology (VectorBiTE) Network 4. Member of Antivec 5. BOVA and CONNECTED Networks 6. Pan-African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA). |
– Alumini of the Harvard University “Science of Defeating Malaria” Course 2025
Publications |
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Dr Tchouakui has co-authored more than 70 research papers in various journals including in Science Translational Medicine, Nature communication, Cell Reports and Scientific Reports. Key publications a) Monitoring development of resistance against novel insecticide classes Magellan Tchouakui, Carlos S. Djoko Tagne, Hervé R. Tazokong, Jonas A. Kengne Ouafo, Mersimine Kouamo, Derrick Fofie, Arnaud Tepa, Murielle Wondji, Sulaiman S. Ibrahim, Charles S. Wondji. A COEAE80 esterase variant and P450-suppression drive chlorfenapyr resistance in malaria vectors. [version 1]. VeriXiv, October 2025, 2:355 https://doi.org/10.12688/verixiv.2295.1 Magellan Tchouakui,Sulaiman S. Ibrahim, Mersimine K. Mangoua, Riccado F. Thiomela, Tatiane Assatse, Sonia L. Ngongang-Yipmo, Abdullahi Muhammad, Leon J.M. Mugenzi, Benjamin D. Menze,Themba Mzilahowa, Charles S. Wondji. Substrate promiscuity of key resistance P450s confers clothianidin resistance while increasing chlorfenapyr potency in malaria vectors.Cell Repports 43, 114566 Published:August 27, 2024.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114566. Tchouakui, M., Assatse, T., Tazokong, H.R., Oruni, A., Menze, B.D., Nguiffo-Nguete, D., Mugenzi, L.M.J., Kayondo, J., Watsenga, F., Mzilahowa, T., Osae, M., Wondji, C.S., 2023. Detection of a reduced susceptibility to chlorfenapyr in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae contrasts with full susceptibility in Anopheles funestus across Africa. Sci Rep 13, 2363. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29605-w Tchouakui, M., Assatse, T., Mugenzi, L.M.J., Menze, B.D., Nguiffo-Nguete, D., Tchapga, W., Kayondo, J., Watsenga, F., Manzambi, E.Z., Osae, M., Wondji, C.S., 2022. Comparative study of the effect of solvents on the efficacy of neonicotinoid insecticides against malaria vector populations across Africa. Infect Dis Poverty 11, 35. b) Fitness cost associated with Insecticide resistance in malaria vectors Tchouakui, M., Miranda, J. R., Mugenzi, L. M., Djonabaye, D., Wondji, M. J., Tchoupo, M., et al. 2020. Cytochrome P450 metabolic resistance (CYP6P9a) to pyrethroids imposes a fitness cost in the major African malaria vector Anophele s funestus. Heredity, 124, 621-632. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41437-020-0304-1 Tchouakui, M., Mugenzi, L. M., Wondji, M. J., Tchoupo, M., Njiokou, F., & Wondji, C. S. (2021). Combined over- expression of two cytochrome P450 genes exacerbates the fitness cost of pyrethroid resistance in the major African malaria vector Anopheles funestus. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 104772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2021.104772 Tchouakui, M., Mugenzi, L. M. J., Wondji, M. J., Tchoupo, M., Njiokou, F. & Wondji, C. S. 2022. A 6.5kb Intergenic Structural Variation Exacerbates the Fitness Cost of P450-Based Metabolic Resistance in the Major African Malaria Vector Anopheles funestus. Genes, 13, 626. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13040626 Tchouakui, M., Riveron, J. M., Djonabaye, D., Tchapga, W., Irving, H., Takam, P. S.,Njiokou, F. & Wondji, C. S. 2018. Fitness Costs of the Glutathione S-Transferase Epsilon 2 (L119F-GSTe2) Mediated Metabolic Resistance to Insecticides in the Major African Malaria Vector Anopheles Funestus. Genes, 9, 645. Tchouakui, M., Chiang, M.-C., Ndo, C., Kuicheu, C. K., Amvongo-Adjia, N., Wondji, M. J., Tchoupo, M., Kusimo, M. O., Riveron, J. M. & Wondji, C. S. 2019. A marker of glutathione S-transferase-mediated resistance to insecticides is associated with higher Plasmodium infection in the African malaria vector Anopheles funestus. Scientific reports, 9, 5772. Tchouakui, M., Oruni, A., Assatse, T., Manyaka, C. R., Tchoupo, M., Kayondo, J. & Wondji, C. S. 2022. Fitness cost of target-site and metabolic resistance to pyrethroids drives restoration of susceptibility in a highly resistant Anopheles gambiae population from Uganda. PLoS One, 17, e0271347. c) Molecular basis of Insecticide resistance in malaria vectors and functional validation using RNAi and drosophila flies Mugenzi, L.M.J., Menze, B.D., Tchouakui, M., Wondji, M.J., Irving, H., Tchoupo, M., Hearn, J., Weedall, G.D., Riveron, J.M., Cho-Ngwa, F., Wondji, C.S., 2020. A 6.5-kb intergenic structural variation enhances P450-mediated resistance to pyrethroids in malaria vectors lowering bed net efficacy. Mol Ecol 29, 4395-4411. G. D. Weedall, L. M. J. Mugenzi, B. D. Menze, M. Tchouakui, S. S. Ibrahim, N. Amvongo-Adjia, H. Irving, M. J. Wondji, M. Tchoupo, R. Djouaka, J. M. Riveron, C. S. Wondji, A cytochrome P450 allele confers pyrethroid resistance on a major African malaria vector, reducing insecticide-treated bednet efficacy. Sci. Transl. Med. 11, eaat7386 (2019). Mugenzi LMJ, Menze BD, Tchouakui M, Wondji MJ, Irving H, Tchoupo M, Hearn J, Weedall GD, Riveron JM, Wondji CS. 2019. Cis-regulatory CYP6P9b P450 variants associated with loss of insecticide-treated bed net efficacy against Anopheles funestus. Nat Commun 10: 4652. Kouamo, M. F., Ibrahim, S. S., Hearn, J., Riveron, J. M., Kusimo, M., Tchouakui, M., Ebai, T., Tchapga, W., Wondji, M. J. & Irving, H. 2021. Genome-wide transcriptional analysis and functional validation linked a cluster of epsilon glutathione S-transferases with insecticide resistance in the major malaria vector Anopheles funestus across Africa. Genes, 12, 561. d) Impact of resistance on efficacy of bed nets using in lab and Experimental huts Tchakounte, A., Tchouakui, M., Mu-Chun, C., Tchapga, W., Kopia, E., Soh, P. T., Njiokou, F., Riveron, J. M. & Wondji, C. S. 2019. Exposure to the insecticide-treated bednet PermaNet 2.0 reduces the longevity of the wild African malaria vector Anopheles funestus but GSTe2-resistant mosquitoes live longer. PLoS One, 14, e0213949. Ngongang-Yipmo, E. S., Tchouakui, M., Menze, B. D., Mugenzi, L. M., Njiokou, F., & Wondji, C. S. (2022). Reduced performance of community bednets against pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles funestus and Anopheles gambiae, major malaria vectors in Cameroon. Parasites & Vectors, 15(1), 230. Menze BD, Mugenzi LMJ, Tchouakui M, Wondji MJ, Tchoupo M, Wondji CS. 2022. Experimental Hut Trials Reveal That CYP6P9a/b P450 Alleles Are Reducing the Efficacy of Pyrethroid-Only Olyset Net against the Malaria Vector Anopheles funestus but PBO-Based Olyset Plus Net Remains Effective. Pathogens 11. Tchouakui M, Mugenzi LMJ, D. Menze B, Khaukha JNT, Tchapga W, Tchoupo M, et al. Pyrethroid Resistance Aggravation in Ugandan Malaria Vectors Is Reducing Bednet Efficacy. Pathogens. 2021;10(4):415.
e) Review and Book Riveron, J. M., Tchouakui, M., Mugenzi, L., Menze, B. D., Chiang, M.-C. & Wondji, C.S. 2018. Insecticide resistance in malaria vectors: An update at a global scale. Towards Malaria Elimination- A Leap Forward. Intech Open. http:// dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.78375. Suh, P. F., Elanga-Ndille, E., Tchouakui, M., Sandeu, M. M., Tagne, D., Wondji, C. S. & Ndo, C. 2023. Impact of insecticide resistance on malaria vector competence: a literature review. Malaria Journal, 22.
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