Personal profile
Research interests
My research has a focus on methodologies of improving the analysis of large-scale genomic studies such as genome-wide association, fine-mapping studies, admixture mapping, genomics of mixed ancestry populations and analysing genome wide patterns of variation within and between species to address fundamental questions in biology, anthropology, and medicine. My interest is to unlock genomics in healthcare through computational and statistical methods to understand the genomics and environment architecture of complex diseases, variation in drug/treatment response. This interest is extending in methodologies and developing tools for deconvoluting human genomics diversity to uncover the role of genetic and environmental factors in determining risk and susceptibility of communicable and non-communicable diseases. I develop Bioinformatics methods/tools pertinent to genetic and environmental determinants of susceptibility to complex diseases, drug responses, genome variation, microbial omics, and infectious diseases from both the host and pathogen perspectives to facilitate the transformation of genomics-driven clinical practice.
Our current range of developed Bioinformatics tools from functional genomics, post-Genome-wide Association Studies, disease risk prediction, Gene Ontology semantic similarity can be found at (https://github.com/echimusa).
I am actively involved in the development of bioinformatics and Omics Data Science educational courses to offer a unique opportunity in the use of bioinformatics and computational methods to access and harness large complicated high-throughput data and uncover meaningful information that could be used to understand molecular mechanisms and develop novel targeted therapeutics/diagnostic tools.
Biography
Prof. Emile R. Chimusa is an internationally recognised computational population genomics and bioinformatics researcher and an experienced educator. He has recently joined Northumbria from the University of Cape Town, where he served as Associate Professor and Programme director of PGDip/MSc/PhD in Computational Health Informatics and Honours in Human Genetics and Forensic Genetics.
He has been a part of a wide array of International Research Consortiums that he has received both research and industry focused funding from the South African National Research Foundation, South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Newton Fund, Canadian International Development Fund, NIH, The Wellcome Trust and Health~Holland. In total, he has received over £17.7 million in research funding as PI or Co-investigator. His research has been published in high-impact international journals and presented both at major scientific conferences and in broadcast, print, and web-based media worldwide. He has a record of accomplishment in designing and developing Computational and Bioinformatics tools (https://github.com/echimusa).
Education/Academic qualification
Bioinformatics, PhD, Mapping Genes Underlying Ethnic Differences in Tuberculosis Risk by Linkage Disequilibrium in the South African Coloured Population of the Western Cape
1 Jul 2013 → 31 Dec 2099
Award Date: 1 Jul 2013
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
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SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
Fingerprint
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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A novel combination of genomic loci in ITGB2, COL5A1 and VEGFA associated with anterior cruciate ligament rupture susceptibility: insights from Australian, Polish, Swedish, and South African cohorts
Dlamini, S. B., Saunders, C. J., Cieszczyk, P., Ficek, K., Häger, C. K., Stattin, E.-L., Nilsson, K. G., Eynon, N., Feller, J. A., Tirosh, O., Bope, C. D., Chimusa, E. R., Laguette, M.-J. N., Collins, M. & September, A. V., 1 Jan 2026, In: Biology of Sport. 43, p. 3-20 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus) -
Exploring erythroid cell transcriptomics to understand regulation of fetal hemoglobin expression for advanced sickle cell disease treatment
Nkya, S., Nzunda, C., Kaywanga, F., Karim, S., Solomon, D., Saukiwa, E., Christopher, H., Ngowi, D., Johansen, J., Urio, F., Mgaya, J., Chamba, C., Hashim, F., Ambrose, E. E., Acquah, S. O., Chimusa, E. R. & Makani, J., 1 Jan 2026, In: Human Molecular Genetics. 35, 2, 10 p., ddaf179.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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SULT and UGT Genetic Variants Modulate Side Effect Profiles in South African Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Tamoxifen
Kruger, B., Chimusa, E., Abera, A., Singh, J., Shamley, D. & Dandara, C., 24 Feb 2026, In: Genes. 17, 3, 15 p., 252.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Using data science to identify climate change and health adverse impacts and solutions in Africa: a scoping review
Wright, C. Y., Jaca, A., Kapwata, T., Naidoo, N., Awokola, B., Bainomugisha, E., Berhane, K., Blesic, S., Kehbila, A. G., Naidoo, R. N., Nemukula, B., Nyarko, B. K., Okekunle, A. P., Oni, T., Qunasah, R., Thiam, S., Zakari, I. S., Beyene, N., Chimusa, E. R. & Webster, C., 16 Feb 2026, In: npj Health Systems. 3, p. 1-14 14 p., 16.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Can a bold ‘social contract’ make data sharing more palatable?
Munung, N. S., Ewuoso, C., Agamah, F. E. & Chimusa, E. R., 11 Sept 2025, In: Nature. 645, 8080, p. 309-312 4 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review
Open Access2 Citations (Scopus)
Activities
- 2 Organising a conference, workshop, ...
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4th African Symposium on Big Data, Analytics and Machine Intelligence, and 18th TYAN International Thematic Virtual Workshop
Chimusa, E. R. (Organiser)
17 Jun 2025 → 21 Jun 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organising a conference, workshop, ...
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AI and Data Science in Multi-Omics for Human Health
Chimusa, E. R. (Organiser)
27 Jul 2023 → 28 Jul 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organising a conference, workshop, ...