On Friday, 17th April 2026, KAVI-ICR had the privilege of hosting Dr Dipesh Solanky, MD, for a guest seminar titled:
“Molecular Diagnostics for HPV and the Role of Amplicon Sequencing toward Cervical Cancer Elimination.”

Dr Solanky is an infectious diseases physician-investigator practising in Boston, USA, with deep expertise at the intersection of molecular diagnostics, infectious diseases, and global public health. His current work focuses on improving cervical cancer screening uptake through scalable diagnostic technologies.

During the seminar, Dr Solanky shared insights from his training at the Mayo Clinic, University of California, San Diego, and Massachusetts General/Brigham and Women’s Hospitals.

Key discussion points included:

• The potential of amplicon sequencing to expand access to high-quality HPV genotyping and ongoing HPV pilot work here at KAVI-ICR  and KEMRI-CVR.
• Challenges and opportunities for implementing molecular diagnostics in low- and middle-income settings
• How scalable technologies can support the global goal of cervical cancer elimination.

The seminar sparked valuable scientific exchange among KAVI-ICR researchers, fellows, and partners, reinforcing our commitment to solution-driven research addressing cervical cancer and other priority diseases in Kenya and beyond.

We thank Dr Solanky for his time and thought-provoking presentation, and all attendees for their engagement.