Blaise Dondji

Curriculum Vitae and List of Selected Publications
 

Awards

2022 Distinguished Faculty – Teaching, Central Washington University

2018 Faculty Mentor of the Year, Central Washington University

2016 Force of Nature Award, College of the Sciences, Central Washington University

2016 Professors’ Excellence Award, National Residence Hall Honorary

2013 Most Inspirational Faculty, Central Washington University

2012 Faculty Mentor of the Year – Honorable Mention, Central Washington University

Education     

Postdoctoral Training: Yale School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics-Section of Infectious Diseases & Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, New Haven, CT  & Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
Ph.D. University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria
B.Sc., M.Sc. and M.Phil. University of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Teaching

Human Physiology, Cell & Molecular Biology, Parasitology, Immunology & Flow Cytometry.

Research

• Drug Discovery (Anthelminthics & Antiprotozoans) Collaborators: Dr. Timothy Beng & Dr. Gil Belofsky, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA; Dr. Michael Cappello, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
• Cellular immune responses to hookworm infection. Collaborator: Dr. Michael Cappello, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
• Immunological and entomological studies of Leishmania and Leishmania/HIV co-infection in endemic foci of human cutaneous leishmaniasis. Collaborators: Dr. Esther von Stebut, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Dr. Marcus Maurer, University Charite-Berlin, Berlin, Germany;  Dr. Albert Legrand Same-Ekobo, University of Yaoundé Teaching Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Dr. Omer Bébé Ngouateu, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Dr. Andreas Kruger, Bernard Notch Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; Dr. Alon Warburg, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.

Selected Publications

• Tebo Nzesseu TR, Tateng NA, Ngouateu OB, Foyet JV, Ngnindji-Youdje Y, Payne VK, Dondji B. 2025. Occurrence and monthly dynamics of female Phlebotomine sandfly species from Kousseri Visceral Leishmaniasis endemic focus in northern Cameroon. African Invertebrates. 66(2):229-249. doi: 10.3897/AfrInvertebr.66.160860
• Tateng NA, Tebo Nzesseu TR, Ngouateu OB, Yamssi C, Elanga NE, Ndo C, Lontsi-Demano M, Payne VK, Dondji B. 2025. Evaluating Light Trap Efficiency and Leishmania Infection Status in Sand Fly Species from Kousseri, Northern Cameroon. Acta Parasitologica. 70: 162 doi: 10.1007/s11686-025-01094-z
• Henne T, Curry L, Smith C, Gunther K, Braunstein H, Farah OA, Beng TK, Dondji B. 2025. Biological activity and structure-activity relationship of functionalized thiols against Leishmania major, the agent of human cutaneous leishmaniasis. 5(1):9, DOI: 10.3390/parasitologia5010009
• Tebo Nzesseu TR, Tateng NA, Ngouateu OB, Yamssi C, Elanga NE, Ndo C, Bamou R, Payne VK, Dondji B. 2024. Distribution and Ecological aspects of Sand fly species from Kousseri, an endemic focus of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Northern Cameroon. Frontiers in Tropical Diseases, doi: 10.3389/fitd.2024.1371670
• Tateng NA, Payne VK, Ngouateu OB, von Stebut E, Maurer M, Kruger A & Dondji B. 2023. Ecology and distribution of sand fly species of Mokolo, an endemic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Cameroon. Acta Tropica, 239, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106809
• McPherson V, Wolhart H, Engels L, Sullivan K, Coria A, Bicchieri T, Torrey B, Spiegel C, Danforth S, Belofsky G & Dondji B. 2022. Assessment of the Anthelmintic Activity and Toxicity of Metabolites of Dalea pogonathera (Fabaceae). Phytochemistry Letters. 55, 75 – 81.
• Drummer D, Many GM, Pritchett K, Young M, Connor K, Tesfaye J, Dondji B, & Pritchett R. 2022. Montmorency Cherry Juice Consumption does not Improve Muscle Soreness or Inhibit Pro-inflammatory Monocyte Responses Following an Acute Bout of Whole-body Resistance Training. International Journal of Exercise Science, 15(6): 686-701
• Bungiro RD, Harrison LM, Dondji B & Cappello M. 2022. Comparison of percutaneous vs oral infection of hamsters with the hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum: Parasite development, pathology, and primary immune response. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Published: January 5, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010098
• Ngouateu OB & Dondji B. 2022. Leishmaniasis in Cameroon and neighboring countries: an overview of current status and control challenges. Current Research in Parasitology and Vector-Borne Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crpvbd.2022.100077
• McNolty A, Anderson H, Stryker G & Dondji B. 2021. Investigations on the effects of anti- Leishmania major serum on progression of Leishmania infantum infection in vivo and in vitro - Implications of heterologous exposure to Leishmania spp. Parasitology Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-021-07130-x
• Belofsky B, Engels L, McPherson V, Nash K, Sullivan K, Torrey B, Ripley C, Coria A, Bicchieri T & Dondji B. 2020. Investigation of Dalea parryi (Fabaceae) Metabolites for Anthelmintic Activity against the Human Pathogenic Hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum. 177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2020.112423
• Richardson DJ, Gross JA, Tsekeng P & Dondji B 2020. Geohelminth infection, anemia, and malnourishment in Bawa, Cameroon after 10 years of intervention by the Bawa Health Initiative. International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences. 14 (4): 1177-1187.
• Tateng NA, Payne VK, Ngouateu OB, Kirstein DO, Warburg W, von Stebut E, Maurer M, Dondji B & Kruger A. 2019. Inventory and taxonomy of phlebotomine sand flies of the Mokolo leishmaniasis focus, northern Cameroon, with description of new Sergentomyia taxa (Diptera: Psychodidae). Acta Tropica, 194, 172-180.
• Tateng NA, Kirstein DO, Ngouateu OB, Kruger A, von Stebut E, Maurer M, Payne VK, Warburg W & Dondji B. 2018. First detection of Leishmania donovani in sand flies from Cameroon and its epidemiological implications. Tropical Medicine and International Health. 23, 1014-1021.
• Farah OA, Archibald R, Rodriguez MJ, Moreno A, Dondji B &Timothy K. Beng. 2018. Flexible access to 2,3,5,6-tetrasubstituted dehydropiperidines by Ni- or Co-catalyzed site- selective cross-coupling using Vilsmeier-Haackderived α-chloro-β- formyltetrahydropyridines. Tetrahedrons Letters. 59, 3495-3498.
• Diliani N & Dondji B. 2017. Hookworm excretory/secretory products modulate immune responses to heterologous and species-specific antigens. Parasite Immunology. 39,10.1111/pim.12459
• Deardorff K, Ray W, Winterstein E, Brown M, McCornack J, Cardenas-Garcia B, Jones K, McNutt S, Fulkerson S, Ferreira D, Gény C, Chen X, Belofsky G & Dondji B. 2016. Phenolic metabolites of Dalea ornata affect both survival and motility of the human pathogenic hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum. Journal of Natural Products. 79, 2296-2303.
• Bastien P, Volf P, Depaquit J, Dondji B, Gallego M, Gangneux J-P, Izri A, Marty P, Piarroux R, Pratlong F& Dedet J-P. 2015. Comments on Leishmania major in Gorilla Feces. Journal of Infectious diseases JIV129.
• Belofsky G, Kouch PK, McCornack J & Koppinger K & Dondji B. 2015. Dalea emoryi revisited: Anthelminthic and new components of a previously studied plant. Planta Medica 81 (11).
• Ngouateu OB, Weller K, Brohl K, Kamtchouing P, Same-Ekobo A, Dondji B, Maurer M & von Stebut E. 2015. Impaired T cell-dependent protection against Leishmania major infection in HIV-positive patients is associated with worsened disease outcome. Experimental Dermatology, 22(4): 302-304.
• Belofsky G, Ray W, Winterstein E, Dondji B & Koppinger K. 2014. Anthelminthic metabolites of Dalea ornata (Fabaceae). 2014 Annual meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy. August 2-6, Oxford, Mississippi, USA. Planta Medica. 80 (10).
• Nation SC, Dondji B, Stryker GA. 2012. Previous exposure to a low infectious dose of Leishmania major exacerbates infection with Leishmania infantum in the susceptible BALB/c mouse. Parasitology Research, 111(3):1407-1415
• Ngouateu OB, Kollo P, Ravel C, Dereure J, Kamtchouing P, Same-Ekobo A, von Stebut E, Maurer M, Dondji B. 2012. Clinical features and epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis and Leishmania major/HIV co-infection in Cameroon: Results of a large cross-sectional study. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 106, 137-142.
• Richardson DJ, Richardson KR, Callahan KD, Gross J, Tsekeng P, Dondji B & Richardson KE. 2011. Geohelminth Infection in Rural Cameroonian Villages. Comparative Parasitology. 78,161-179.
• Richardson DJ, Callahan KD, Tsekeng P, Dondji B & Richardson KE. 2011. Prevalence of waterborne Protozoan Parasites in Two Rural Villages in the West Province of Cameroon. Comparative Parasitology, 78,180-184
• Ngouateu OB, Dondji B, Maurer M, von Stebut E. 2011.Epidemiological and immunological investigation on cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and Leishmania/HIV co- infection in Cameroon. Experimental Dermatology, 20: 172
• Deak E, Cho KW, Goldsmith-Pestana K, Dondji B, Lambris JD & McMahon-Pratt D. 2010. Murine visceral leishmaniasis: IgM and polyclonal B-cell activation lead to disease exacerbation. European Journal of Immunology, 40, 1-14
• Dondji B, Sun T, Bungiro RD, Vermeire J, Harrison LM, Bifulco C & Cappello M. 2010. CD4+ T cells mediate mucosal and systemic immune responses to experimental hookworm infection. Parasite Immunology, 32, 1-8.
• Ngouateu OB, von Stebut E, Maurer M, Same-Ekobo A, Kamtchouing P, Dondji B. 2009. Epidemiological investigations on cutaneous leishmaniasis and Leishmania/HIV co-infection in the Mokolo focus, Far North Province, Cameroon. Experimental Dermatology. 18: 302
• Maurer M, Dondji B & von Stebut E. 2009.What determines the success or failure of intracellular cutaneous parasites? Lessons learned from leishmaniasis. Medical Microbiology and Immunology. 198, 137-146.
• Dondji B, Bungiro RD, McMahon-Pratt D & Cappello, M. 2008. A role of nitric oxide in hookworm associated immune suppression. Infection and Immunity, 76, 2560-2567.
• Dondji B, Deak E, Goldsmith-Pestana K, Perez-Jimenez E, Esteban M, Miyake S, Takashi Y & McMahon-Pratt D. 2008. Intradermal NKT cell activation during DNA priming in heterologous prime-boost   vaccination enhances T cell responses   and protection against Leishmania. European Journal of Immunology, 38, 706-719.
• Dondji B, Perez-Jimenez E, Goldsmith-Pestana K, Esteban M & McMahon-Pratt D. 2005. Heterologous Prime-Boost vaccination using LACK antigen protects against murine visceral leishmaniasis. Infection and Immunity, 73 (8), 5286-5289.
• Dondji B, Duchon S, Diabate A, Herve JP, Corbel V, Hougard J-P, Santus R & Schrevel J.2005. Assessment of laboratory and field assays of sunlight-induced killing of mosquito larvae by photosensitizers. Journal of Medical Entomology, 42 (4), 652-656.
• Carvalho LP, Soto M, Jeronimo S, Dondji B, Bacellar O, Luz V, Orge Orge G, Alonso C, Jesus AR & Carvalho EM. 2003. Characterization of the immune response to Leishmania infantum recombinant antigens. Microbes and Infection, 5, 7-12.
• Dondji B, Dereure J, Poste B, Same-Ekobo A & Dedet JP. 2001. Visceral leihmaniasis in Cameroon. Seroepidemiological survey in Kousseri area, Northern Cameroon. Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie Exotique, 94 (5), 418-420.
• Dondji B. 2001. Leishmanioses et Phlebotomes du Cameroun: Le point sur les données actuelles. Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie Exotique, 94 (3), 227-229.
• Dondji B, Duhlinska DD & Same-Ekobo A. 2000. Species composition of the phlebotomine sandfly fauna (Diptera: Phlebotominae) in Mokolo region, northern Cameroon. Insect Sciences and its Application, 20 (3), 221-226.
• Dondji B, Dereure J, Pratlong F, Duhlinska DD, Same-Ekobo A & Dedet JP. 1998. Characterization of Leishmania major causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in northern Cameroon. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 92, 677- 678.