Who we are
Dr Wilber Sabiiti
Founder
Dr Wilber Sabiiti is a Principal Research Fellow (Associate Prof) in the University of St Andrews’ School of Medicine and specialises in translational medicine research. Wilber has extensive experience working across various universities, coordinating multi-national projects involving the UK and Africa in the fight against tuberculosis including the training of scientists and clinicians across the world in the principles of molecular bacterial load assay (MBLA) and developing the Vitalbacteria kits. He built the MBLA global user network, expanding it from 3 to over 20 countries between 2015 and 2024.
Prof Stephen Gillespie
Founder
Professor Stephen Gillespie led the research group that first evented the Molecular Bacterial Load Assay (MBLA) at University College London before coming to University of St Andrews in 2010. The development of the now called the tuberculosis Molecular Bacterial Load Assay (TB-MBLA) continued at University of St Andrews under Prof Gillespie’s leadership. In 2017, the trademark Vitalbacteria was formed to market the TB-MBLA kits through SOI Ltd.