Dr Germana Bancone
Contact information
Germana Bancone
Haematology Research Scientist at SMRU
Germana leads the activities of the Haematology laboratory of SMRU in support to both clinical and research work. Her main research interest is the study of inherited red blood cells disorders (IRD), in particular G6PD deficiency, in relation to clinical outcomes. Past and future research studies include the characterization of genotypes and phenotypes of G6PD deficiency in South-East Asia, the study of haemolytic risk during treatment with 8-aminoquinolines and other oxidative drugs and the use of innovative tools to better characterize RBCs phenotypes in the laboratory. She is also interested in G6PD deficiency contribution to the onset of severe neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia. Working closely with the clinicians of SMRU, one of the aim of her research is to bring to the field better validated point-of-care tests to improve G6PD diagnosis at birth and before malaria treatment. Further research interests include the study of causes of anaemia in pregnancy and infancy and the investigation of markers of iron deficiency that can inform appropriate early treatment.
Before moving to SMRU in 2010, Germana worked in Rome and Burkina Faso studying the evolution of haemoglobin variants of West African populations and their impact on the capacity of Plasmodium falciparum to transmit from humans to mosquitoes. She also characterized G6PD mutations in African populations (Burkina Faso, Madagascar and Rwanda) to study protection against malaria and drug-induced anaemia. She obtained her PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology in Rome in 2008.
Recent publications
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Case Report: A case report of multiple co-infections (melioidosis, paragonimiasis, Covid-19 and tuberculosis) in a patient with diabetes mellitus and thalassemia-trait in Myanmar
Journal article
Chit Yee D. et al, (2022), Wellcome Open Research, 7, 160 - 160
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Repeatability and reproducibility of a handheld quantitative G6PD diagnostic.
Journal article
Ley B. et al, (2022), PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 16
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Real-life implementation of a G6PD deficiency screening qualitative test into routine vivax malaria diagnostic units in the Brazilian Amazon (SAFEPRIM study).
Journal article
Brito-Sousa JD. et al, (2021), PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 15
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G6PD Variants and Haemolytic Sensitivity to Primaquine and Other Drugs
Journal article
Bancone G. and Chu CS., (2021), Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12
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Vivax malaria in pregnancy and lactation: a long way to health equity
Journal article
Brummaier T. et al, (2020), Malaria Journal, 19