Professor Happi was born in Sangmélima, Cameroon, fourth of seven children.[3] He graduated from the University of Yaounde, Cameroon, in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with honors.[4] He obtained his PhD from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, in 2000 and went on to Harvard University as a Postdoctoral Fellow from 2000 to 2003.[4] He subsequently worked at Harvard University as a Research Scientist from 2004 to 2007.[4] He became an adjunct Professor at Harvard University School of Public Health between 2007–2011.
Happi has led several public health sequencing efforts in Africa. His team rapidly sequenced Nigeria’s first Ebola case, and up to 20 cases a day throughout the outbreak.[5][6] He sequenced Lassa fever strains in a 2018 outbreak, helping researchers to conclude that the Lassa fever outbreak was due to spread by rats, rather than a mutation which had made it easier to spread between people.[7][8] He also played significant roles in genomics efforts such as 1000 Genomes Project[9] and H3Africa.[10] More recently he has led efforts for SARS-CoV-2 in Nigeria.[11][12]
^Gire, S. K.; Goba, A.; Andersen, K. G.; Sealfon, R. S. G.; Park, D. J.; Kanneh, L.; Jalloh, S.; Momoh, M.; Fullah, M.; Dudas, G.; Wohl, S.; Moses, L. M.; Yozwiak, N. L.; Winnicki, S.; Matranga, C. B.; Malboeuf, C. M.; Qu, J.; Gladden, A. D.; Schaffner, S. F.; Yang, X.; Jiang, P.-P.; Nekoui, M.; Colubri, A.; Coomber, M. R.; Fonnie, M.; Moigboi, A.; Gbakie, M.; Kamara, F. K.; Tucker, V.; Konuwa, E.; Saffa, S.; Sellu, J.; Jalloh, A. A.; Kovoma, A.; Koninga, J.; Mustapha, I.; Kargbo, K.; Foday, M.; Yillah, M.; Kanneh, F.; Robert, W.; Massally, J. L. B.; Chapman, S. B.; Bochicchio, J.; Murphy, C.; Nusbaum, C.; Young, S.; Birren, B. W.; Grant, D. S.; Scheiffelin, J. S.; Lander, E. S.; Happi, C.; Gevao, S. M.; Gnirke, A.; Rambaut, A.; Garry, R. F.; Khan, S. H.; Sabeti, P. C. (28 August 2014). "Genomic surveillance elucidates Ebola virus origin and transmission during the 2014 outbreak". Science. 345 (6202): 1369–1372. Bibcode:2014Sci...345.1369G. doi:10.1126/science.1259657. PMC4431643. PMID25214632.
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