DRIP PhD scholar

John Ndung'u Nganga

Research Project: Potato Cysts Nematode-PCN project: Management of Potato Cyst Nematode Using a Trap Crop and Selected Biofumigants John is a DRIP PhD scholar supervised by Dr Solveig Haukeland (icipe) and Prof Antony Kibe and Dr Miriam (Egerton University, Njoro). His research interests are in sustainable cropping systems in pest and soil fertility management, modelling nematode population dynamics and plant secondary metabolites in pest and disease management. John is currently researching on potential use of a trap crop (Solanum scabrum) and biofumigants in Brassica spp. and Sorghum spp. in management of PCN in a potato crop rotation program in acidic soils. John completed his undergraduate and master’s studies in Agronomy at Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya. He is currently registered for PhD at Egerton University and is supported by World Bank through the African Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture and Agribusiness Management, ACE-CESAAM.

Stella Gachoki

Stella is a DRIP Ph.D. scholar supervised by Dr. Daniel Masiga (icipe). Her research interest concentrates on using time-series satellite data to understand and monitor landscape dynamics and to assess how these changes affect and or influence the distribution of other living organisms such as insects, wild animals, humans among others. Stella is also passionate about technological skills that encourage the processing and analysis of large satellite and geospatial datasets in cloud-based platforms such as Google Earth Engine (GEE). Her present research combines remote sensing data, geostatistical sciences, field observations and modelling to bring a spatial understanding of the risk of trypanosomiasis transmission in cattle. Stella’s research outputs will likely impact the design of control strategies at local levels where the most impact is probable. Stella holds a Bachelor of Science in Geospatial Information Science from the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology in Kenya, a Master of Science in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation in Natural Resources Management from the University of Twente (ITC) in The Netherlands. She is currently enrolled as an external Ph.D. student in the Graduate Program of the Natural Resources under the theme Forest Agriculture and Environment in Spatial Sciences (FORAGES) at the University of Twente (ITC) under the supervision of Prof. A.K. Skidmore. Stella is also a member of the British Ecology Society (BES), London United Kingdom.

Nelson Mwando

Nelson is a DRIP PhD scholar supervised by: Dr. Shepard Ndlela(icipe), Dr Subramanian Sevgan(icipe), Dr Samira Mohamed (icipe) and Prof. Rainer Meyhoefer (Leibniz University, Hannover). His research interest lies in understanding pre- and post-harvest insect pest management strategies. Nelson is currently researching on development of post-harvest disinfestation treatment protocols against fruit fly, false codling moth and western flower thrips that affect export fruits and vegetables. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Zoology and an MSc in Biochemistry, both from Egerton University. He is currently enrolled at the Leibniz University Hannover, Germany and is supported at icipe by SIDA through Bioinnovate Africa.

Joseph Oundo

Oundo is a DRIP PhD Scholar supervised by Dr. Daniel Masiga (icipe), Dr. Shewit Kalayou (icipe), Dr. Quirine ten Bosch (Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands) and Prof. Koenraadt Sander (Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands). His research interest is in the epidemiology and control of vector-borne diseases that affect human and animal health. Oundo is currently researching on the disease transmission risk by ticks as well as developing alternative, non-insecticidal tools for control of ticks in coastal Kenya. Oundo completed his undergraduate studies in Biomedical Science and Technology at Egerton University, Kenya, and obtained a MSc in Applied Parasitology from the University of Nairobi. He is currently registered for a PhD at Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands, and is supported by a scholarship from icipe.

Dorcus Caroline Achieng Omoga

Research project: Assessment of animal and human health risk of a novel sandfly-borne virus and other co-circulating arboviruses in diverse ecologies in Kenya. Dorcus is a DRIP PhD Scholar supervised by Prof. Rosemary Sang (icipe, KEMRI) and Prof. Marietjie Venter (University of Pretoria, South Africa). Her research interest is in virology, including viral pathogenesis, diagnosis, evolution, transmission dynamics and molecular virology.  She is currently investigating the degree and geographic extent of exposure to a novel sandfly-borne phlebovirus and other related and co-circulating arboviruses in human, livestock, and peri-domestic rodents in diverse ecologies in Kenya. Dorcus holds BSc in Medical Microbiology and MSc in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya. She is currently registered for a PhD at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and is supported by DFG funded project.

Richard Simba Gashururu

Richard Gashururu is PhD scholar Supervised by Dr Daniel Masiga (Icipe), Prof Ndichu Maingi, Prof Samuel M. Githigia (University of Nairobi), and Dr James Gashumba (Rwanda Polytechnic). Richard’s research interest is in the control of animal and zoonotic vector-borne and neglected tropical diseases in low resource settings, especially at the human-wildlife-livestock interface. current research aims at investigating on the epidemiological parameters of the animal and human infective trypanosomes from the cattle and cryptic reservoirs in the endemic area of the eastern province of Rwanda, where the disease is a great challenge to farmers. The study will contribute in setting the adequate control measures of the disease and the vector. Richard’s Project is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under its Feed the Future initiative, through the Borlaug Higher Education Agricultural Research and Development (BHEARD) Program, hosted and implemented by Michigan State University (MSU). In Rwanda, Richard worked for the ministry of agriculture and currently the University of Rwanda. He completed his Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine from University of Rwanda, and MSc in Tropical Animal Health from the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp- Belgium. He is registered at the University of Nairobi, Kenya for a PhD in Applied Parasitology.

Ovide Nuambote

Research Project: Mechanisms of resistance to Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in African maize germplasm Ovide Nuambote is a DRIP PhD scholar supervised by Dr Paul-André Calatayud (IRD & icipe), Dr Bruce Anani (CIMMYT, Kenya) and Frédéric Marion-Poll (Agroparistech - Université Paris-Saclay).  He is registered at Agroparistech - Université Paris-Saclay in France. He is working on the resistance of Fall armyworm in African Maize genotypes. His research area is focused on agricultural entomology and integrated crop protection. Ovide is an Agricultural Engineer from Université Kongo in DRC. He holds a Master’s in Plant Health from Montpellier Supagro, Agrocampus-Ouest and is registeres for his  PhD at Agroparistech in France.

Raphael Njurai Miano

Project Title:  Linking the olfactomes of Tephritid fruit flies and their parasitoids Raphael is a DRIP PhD scholar supervised by Drs. Samira Mohammed, Xavier Cheseto, Shepard Ndlela (icipe) and Prof. Teun Dekker (SLU). He is currently researching on the convergence in the olfactomes of the parasitoids; Fopius arisanus, Psyttalia cosyraea and Diachasmimorpha longicaudata in relation to those of their hosts; Bactrocera dorsalis and Ceratitis cosyra, niche odors, both fruits as well as microbial funded by CAP AFRICA ECO AND INVASIVE Project. Raphael holds an undergraduate Bachelor of Education Science and a Master’s in Chemistry from Kenyatta University, Kenya.

Paul Nyamweya Nyang'au

Paul Nyangau is a PhD Scholar at the University of Nairobi supervised by Dr Kassie Menale (International Centre for Insect Physiology ans Ecology, icipe) and Dr Jonathan Nzuma (University of Nairobi (UoN), Kenya). He is currently researching on the economic burden of arboviral diseases in Kenya under the project: Arbovirus Transmission Networks funded by DFG. Paul joined icipe in 2015 as DRIP Msc. Scholar under the project: Beyond mango fruit fly control:The impact of IPM technology for mango fruit fly control on food security, gender and intra-household dynamics. Paul holds an Msc. in Agricultural and Applied Economics and a BSc in Agricultural Education and Extension from UoN, Kenya.

Rose Nyakemiso Sagwe

Research project: Community composition, pollinator diversity and pollination efficiency in avocado production across different landscapes in Kenya. Rose is a DRIP PhD Scholar supervised by Dr. Michael Lattorrf (icipe) and Prof. Ingolf Steffan Dewenter (University of Würzburg) Her research interest is in pollination ecology in crop systems.to enhance food security. Rose is currently researching on the abundance and diversity of pollinator community composition in avocado production systems, both in spatial and temporal dimension in different landscape habitats , she is also working on the pollination efficiency between managed bees and wild pollinators and assessing pollination deficit for avocado and the contribution of avocado crop to bee colonies productivity across farming landscapes in Kenya Rose completed her undergraduate studies in B ed science (Biology and Geography) at Egerton University, Kenya, and obtained a MSc in Conservation Biology from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya. She is currently registered for a PhD at University of Würzburg Germany & Research, Kenya, and is supported by a scholarship from icipe.

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