Name: Keneilwe Nkgola Mmopi

Affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine,University of Botswana

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keneilwe-nkgola-mmopi-7b7312163/

Tell us about yourself.

I am a senior lecturer and researcher, working in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Botswana. I have a PhD in Cardiovascular Physiology which I got from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. I have 6 years’ experience in basic science research in cardiovascular physiology. Recently I did
short courses in Implementation Science and Health Systems Research which broadened my insight on how to bridge the gap between what research shows is effective and what is actually done in real-world settings.

What are your research interests?

My research interests include understanding the pathophysiology of hypertension especially in African ethnic groups, prevention and management of hypertension, and ambulatory blood pressure variability.

What are you working on right now?

Currently I’m on a research fellowship where I will be investigating kidney function biomarkers that regulate blood pressure. For this fellowship, I will be at the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) unit at North-West University in South Africa. I’m also working on a multi-national collaboration project under the World Heart Federation Emerging Leaders (2023 cohort). In this project we are looking at the use of digital health tools for blood pressure control in low-and-middle-income countries.

What do you hope to achieve in the field of hypertension over the next 5 years?

In many parts of the world people still have poor access to healthcare and life-saving antihypertensive medicines. Many more have never had their blood pressure checked. Of recent, I have found myself also leaning towards heart health advocacy.In fact, heart health advocacy is where I believe my life-calling and purpose is. In the next 5 years I hope that more people will have received hypertension education and that the community hypertension awareness campaigns will be intensified even in remote areas. People should understand what their blood pressure readings mean. They should know the risks for high blood pressure and how to manage or control those risks.

What challenges have you faced in your career to date?.

I finished my PhD in Cardiovascular Physiology in 2021. As far as I’m aware, I was the only cardiovascular physiologist in my country Botswana at the time. After returning home I struggled to have research collaborations or funding to start me off  in cardiovascular research. However, I was fortunate because my former PhD supervisors from South Africa kept in touch and were very supportive. I also registered as a mentee under the ISH Mentorship and Training Committee, and I must say that this mentorship has been a game changer in my career.

Which of your publications are you proudest of and why?

I’m proud of most of my publications, especially those that give a fresh perspective into the pathophysiology of hypertension in Black ethnic groups. However, if I had to choose, I would choose this publication;

Woodiwiss AJ, Mmopi KN, et al. Distinct contribution of systemic blood flow to hypertension in an African population across the adult lifespan. Hypertension. 2020; 76(2): 410-419. DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.14925

This paper showed that hypertension across the full adult age range (from 18 years) in Africans is as strongly determined by volume effects as by increases in vascular resistance.

What is your favourite manuscript from a lab other than your own?

Jobe M, Beye SM, Gaye ND, Ka MM, Perel P, Perkins AD, Kane A, Prentice AM, Ojji DB, Jaiteh LES, Etyang AO, Shah ASV, Gaye B. Hypertension in Sub-Saharan

Africa: Burden, Barriers and Priorities for Improving Treatment Outcomes. Circ Res. 2025 Jun 20;137(1):106-118. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.124.323889

It is a review article that looks at barriers to hypertension management in Sub-Saharan-Africa across the healthcare continuum from individual, provider and health system levels, as well as the research barriers.

What are your passions outside of work?

I’m a passionate farmer, tending both livestock and crops. Spending time at the farm brings me calmness and is rejuvenating especially after a hectic workweek. I love spending time around nature. I love adventure and traveling and wish I could travel more and explore new places. I also cherish moments spent with my family. I like challenging myself to always learn or try new things, so this year I took on the exciting challenge of learning the French language and I’m still at elementary proficiency level.