I grew up and experienced several severe malaria episodes. I decided to dedicate my life to infectious diseases especially malaria. After my 4 years of college in biology, I applied to graduate school and spent 3 years at the French Institute of Research and Development located in Dakar. I diagnosed schistosomiasis infection in school children in Northen Senegal and Southern Mauritania and treated these kids with Praziquantel. I isolated clinical S. mansoni and infected snails and mice with the parasites. I conducted basic comparative biology of these clinical isolates from Senegal and Mauritania and gained extensive field research and epidemiological experiences in rural and urban settings. In 2000, I started my PhD program at the Institut Pasteur of Dakar and Cheikh Anta Diop University. While in my Ph.D. program, I attended several international workshops accross Africa. I also attended internatonal meetings such as the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH). After my Ph.D., I landed to the University of Georgia in the Laboratory of Professor Julie M. Moore, Department of Infectious Diseases and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. In 2012, I became an Assistant Research Scientist followed by Associate Research Scientist, while in the Professor Rada Laboratory, focusing in innate immunity and neutrophil biology.