Dr. Justin Jacob Omolo is the Principal Research Officer at National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR). He graduated his BSc in 2004 from Chemistry Department at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). He thereafter joined the University of Botswana for the MSc (Chemitry) programme under DAAD – scholarship in January 2005. While pursuing his MSc, his research interest was in phytochemistry – analyzing plant extracts for active compounds with antimicrobial and antioxidant efficacy. After graduating his MSc studies in December 2006, he joined DUCE (UDSM) in June 2007 as an assistant lecturer.
Dr Omolo graduated his PhD at the University of the Witwatersrand (organic chemistry), South Africa in December 2011 under the sponsorship of SABINA through the Regional Initiative in Science and Education (RISE) program. He was the first RISE student to earn a PhD, consequently it earned him the SABINA staff membership representing UDSM node. His PhD project was a continuation of the MSc on the identification of active ingredients from medicinal plants. In doing so, he has traveled an original and creative path, exploring surprising links between the knowledge of traditional healers and the techniques of modern bioinformatics and synthetic chemistry. This journey may bring him to the threshold of the management of HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, he has been involved with the Tanga Aids Working Group (TAWG) projects some of which were integral part of his PhD studies. Results from the PhD programme were the foundation for the awarded grant funded by SADC.
Dr Omolo has made scientific contacts with several researchers from different Universities and Institutions including Duke University (Cancer Institute) and University of North Carolina (School of Chemistry). Others include, University of the Witwatersrand (School of Chemistry), University of Pretoria (School of Chemistry), CSIR (Biosciences) to mention few.
He is currently working as a Chemist and Principal Research Officer at NIMR where he joined in August 2012. His research interests have been in organic chemistry, both Natural Products and Synthesis. He has been carrying out the Isolation of bioactive secondary metabolites and formulations from Tanzanian medicinal plants using various chromatographic separation techniques. He is also involved in the synthesis of active intermediates and target molecules and testing them against antimicrobial, anti-HIV and anticancer activities.
He has been involved in several health researches on traditional medicine, funded by the Ministry of Health including COVID-19 related researches, Nano technology, Malaria, etc.
Apart from working on bioactive compounds from medicinal plants, he has been involved in several projects on health (field work and lab based) ranging from water hygiene and sanitation, development of herbal formula (including Sickle cell Disease, HIV, purification of waste water). Since starting his research carrier, he has published over 20 research articles in the international peer reviewed journals.
National responsibilities that he has been involved include being a Member of the Advisory Board for Institute of Traditional Medicine (ITM) under Muhimbili University and Health Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Member of the Advisory Board for Government Chemist Laboratory Authority (GCLA) on Poison Control Technical Committee (PC-TC), Head of the Department of Traditional Medicine Research (NIMR) and Head research programmes schedules at NIMR Mabibo.