Research project title: Ecological investigation of freshwater pollution on transmission of schistosomiasis.

Akbar is a DRIP PhD student studying under Dr Ulrike Fillinger (icipe) and Dr Francis McOdimba (Egerton University).  Akbar began studying insects during his time at Keele university, where he majored in Biology in his undergraduate and continued with his masters, investigating the genetics of speciation in Anopheles gambiae. Since then, he has broadened his scope in insects, studying taxonomy at the National Museum of Kenya before beginning his PhD at icipe. His current project, “Ecotoxilogical investigation of freshwater pollutants on the effect on transmission of schistosomiasis” encompasses several of his interests, including addressing Neglected Tropical Diseases, curbing pollution and the invertebrate ecology.