Robert Colebunders

Robert Colebunders
Colebunders at the Mahenge Clinic, Tanzania
Born (1949-04-19) 19 April 1949 (age 77)
Education
Scientific career
FieldsInfectious diseases
Workplaces
Websiteuantwerpen.be/en/staff/robert-colebunders/my-website/

Robert Colebunders (born 19 April 1949) is a Belgian clinician and researcher specialising in infectious diseases and epidemiology, particularly in the study and management of emerging pathogens and tropical diseases including Ebola, AIDS, tuberculosis and onchocerciasis. Colebunders investigated major outbreaks, such as the Ebola and Marburg virus epidemics, and has contributed to research on COVID-19 and monkeypox. His current work focuses on onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE), a condition prevalent in regions where river blindness (onchocerciasis) is endemic. He is professor emeritus at the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp (ITM), Belgium, and continues to lead international research efforts on infectious diseases at the Global Health Institute.

Early life and education

After completing his early education in Flanders, Belgium, Colebunders pursued a medical degree at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, graduating in 1973. He subsequently completed a residency in internal medicine at St. Pierre University Hospital in Brussels, specialising in tropical diseases. His interest for addressing infectious diseases, particularly in resource-limited settings, led him to pursue further specialisation, earning a PhD from the University of Antwerp.

Career

After completing his medical studies, Colebunders spent his early career as a general practitioner in Bougaa, Algeria, from 1974 to 1975, where he gained experience treating patients in rural, resource-constrained environments. During the 1980s, Colebunders', alongside Peter Piot, contributed significantly to the understanding of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Their work helped define the clinical manifestations of HIV infection and led to the development of affordable diagnostic tests, which were crucial for diagnosing HIV in resource-limited settings. Between 1985 and 1988, Colebunders coordinated clinical studies on HIV/AIDS as part of "Projet SIDA" in Kinshasa, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was one of the first physicians to study and describe the clinical manifestations of HIV in Africa, producing foundational research that shaped understanding of the disease on the continent. Together with Dr Jonathan Mann (lead epidemiologist), Henry "Skip" Francis (responsible for the laboratory) and two Zairian physicians, Dr Eugene Nzila Nzilambi and Dr Bosenga Ngali, the group produced more than a hundred publications addressing fundamental questions about AIDS in Africa.

Colebunders furthered his research in this area as a visiting scientist at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) International Activities HIV/AIDS programme in Atlanta, USA, in 1988. In the mid-1990s, he participated in international teams that investigated and controlled two major hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He contributed to managing the 1995 Kikwit Ebola outbreak and the 1999 Marburg virus outbreak in Durba. His clinical documentation during these outbreaks provided key insights into the symptoms and treatment protocols for hemorrhagic fevers in low-resource settings.He also reviewed in Conakry, the clinical care activities of Doctors Without Borders during the West African Ebola outbreak.

In 2004, he took a sabbatical to serve as a senior clinical investigator at the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, Uganda, assisting with the rollout of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV patients. Upon returning to ITM in 2005, he led the clinical HIV/STD Unit in the Department of Clinical Sciences until 2014. His efforts contributed to improving access to life-saving treatment in Uganda and surrounding regions. In 2008, he received a European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) network grant in 2008 to produce a workshop on tuberculosis immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB IRIS), linking this syndrome to his ongoing research on HIV.

In addition to his HIV/AIDS work, Colebunders coordinated a significant institutional collaboration between Flemish universities and the University of Limpopo in South Africa. This partnership, part of the VLIR-IUC (Flemish Inter-universities Council -Institutional University Cooperation) programme, aimed to strengthen research capacity and address healthcare challenges, including infectious diseases like HIV, in rural African communities. His dedication to this field has been further evidenced by grants awarded, including a HORIZON grant (2015–2020) and a Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) senior research project (2022), supporting his research on onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy and other infectious diseases. He is also a strong advocate for open access and networking in science, highlighting the challenges faced by scientists in resource-limited settings.

In 2014, Colebunders received an advanced European Research Council (ERC) grant to investigate the cause of nodding syndrome and other forms of epilepsy in onchocerciasis-endemic regions. Through his research, he discovered that nodding syndrome is one of the phenotypic presentations of onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE). His studies showed that strengthening onchocerciasis elimination programs can prevent new epilepsy cases (23). His team detected a novel rhabdovirus (OVRV1) in O. volvulus worms, currently under investigation as a possible co-factor in the pathogenesis of OAE. Since 2025 he co-coordinates an Mpox EDCTP project in South Kivu. He has authored over 800 peer-reviewed papers and contributed to 40 book chapters. He was involved in many capacity building projects in Africa and mentored 61 PhD students.  

References

  1. ↑ Coalition for Equitable Research in Low-Resource Settings. "Robert Colebunders". CERCLE - Coalition for Equitable Research in Low-Resource Settings. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  2. ↑ "ISID Council Members - ISID". International Society for Infectious Diseases. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  3. 1 2 Colebunders, R.; Mariage, J.-L.; Coche, J.-Ch.; Pirenne, B.; Kempinaire, S.; Hantson, Ph.; Van Gompel, A.; Niedrig, M.; Van Esbroeck, M.; Bailey, R.; Drosten, C.; Schmitz, H. (2002). "A Belgian Traveler Who Acquired Yellow Fever in the Gambia". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 35 (10): e113–e116. doi:10.1086/344180. PMID 12410495.
  4. 1 2 3 "About Robert Colebunders | Robert Colebunders". University of Antwerp. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  5. ↑ Colebunders, Robert; Francis, Henry; Izaley, Lebughe; Kabasele, Kanyinda; Nzilambi, Nzila; Van Der Groen, Guido; Vercauteren, Gaby; Mann, Jonathanm.; Bila, Kapita; Kakonde, Ndangi; Ifoto, Limbaka; Quinn, Thomasc.; Curran, Jamesw.; Piot, Peter (1987). "Evaluation of a Clinical Case-Definition of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome in Africa". The Lancet. 329 (8531): 492–494. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(87)92099-x. PMID 2881049.
  6. ↑ Colebunders, R, Kintin, D, Fleerackers, Y, Demeulenaere, T, Vandenbruaene, M, Goeman, J, Kestens, L, Farber, CM & Soete, F 1993, 'Surveillance case definition for AIDS in resource-poor countries [letter]', Lancet, vol. 342, pp. 864-865.
  7. ↑ Piot, Peter; Colebunders, Robert (25–26 March 1988). "Symptômes cliniques". Santé du Monde.
  8. ↑ Mann, Jonathanm.; Francis, Henry; Mwandagalirwa, Kashemuka; Ndongala, Lubaki; Mavunza-Paka, Duma; Baekert, Gilles; Malonga, Miatudila; Bosenge, Ngaly; Nzilambi, Nzila; Colebunders, Robertc.; Piot, Peter; Quinn, Thomasc.; Curran, Jamesw. (1986). "Elisa Readers and HIV Antibody Testing in Developing Countries". The Lancet. 327 (8496): 1504. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(86)91541-2.
  9. 1 2 Piot, Peter (2012). No Time to Lose: A Life in Pursuit of Deadly Viruses. London and New York: W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393084115.
  10. ↑ National Library of Medicine. "Robert Colebunders and HIV". National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  11. ↑ Cohen, J. "Gesundes Reisen". www.gesundes-reisen.eu. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  12. ↑ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Emerging Infectious Diseases journal". wwwnc.cdc.gov. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  13. ↑ Bwaka, M. A.; Bonnet, M. J.; Calain, P.; Colebunders, R.; De Roo, A.; Guimard, Y.; Katwiki, K. R.; Kibadi, K.; Kipasa, M. A.; Kuvula, K. J.; Mapanda, B. B.; Massamba, M.; Mupapa, K. D.; Muyembe-Tamfum, J. J.; Ndaberey, E. (February 1999). "Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo: clinical observations in 103 patients". The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 179 Suppl 1: S1–7. doi:10.1086/514308. ISSN 0022-1899. PMID 9988155.
  14. ↑ Colebunders, Robert; Tshomba, Antoine; Van Kerkhove, Maria D.; Bausch, Daniel G.; Campbell, Pat; Libande, Modeste; Pirard, Patricia; Tshioko, Florimond; Mardel, Simon; Mulangu, Sabue; Sleurs, Hilde; Rollin, Pierre E.; Muyembe-Tamfum, Jean-Jacques; Jeffs, Benjamin; Borchert, Matthias (15 November 2007). "Marburg hemorrhagic fever in Durba and Watsa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: clinical documentation, features of illness, and treatment". The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 196 Suppl 2: S148–153. doi:10.1086/520543. ISSN 0022-1899. PMID 17940943.
  15. ↑ "EDCTP Annual Report 2011 - Progress on grants signed before 2011". European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  16. ↑ "VLIR-IUC Limpopo partnership". University of Antwerp. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  17. ↑ "South Sudan | Global Health Institute". University of Antwerp. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  18. ↑ "Research Foundation – Flanders Stimulates excellent scientific research with impact". Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek – Vlaanderen.
  19. ↑ UAntwerp Open Access Week 2020: Prof. Robert Colebunders. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2024 – via YouTube.
  20. ↑ Van Cutsem, G.; Siewe Fodjo, J.N.; Dekker, M.C.J.; Amaral, L.J.; Njamnshi, A.K.; Colebunders, R. (2023). "Case definitions for onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy and nodding syndrome: A focused review". Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy. 107: 132–135. doi:10.1016/j.seizure.2023.03.024. PMID 37023626.
  21. ↑ "BBC World Service - Health Check, Mystery of Nodding Syndrome Revealed, Nodding syndrome mystery finally solved". BBC. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  22. ↑ "Sciforum - Pathogens-1". sciforum.net. Retrieved 24 July 2024.

23. Jada SR, Amaral LJ, Lakwo T, Carter JY, Rovarini J, Bol YY, Logora MY, Hadermann A, Hopkins A, Fodjo JNS, Colebunders R. Effect of onchocerciasis elimination measures on the incidence of epilepsy in Maridi, South Sudan: a 3-year longitudinal, prospective, population-based study. Lancet Glob Health. 2023 Aug;11(8):e1260-e1268.