Wambui Karanja
Research Fellow
Mary Wambui Karanja is a psychologist, dementia researcher and brain health advocate with over five years of experience advancing dementia care, research and public awareness in Kenya and across Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Kenyatta University and has built a strong track record in community engagement, caregiver support and equitable brain health research.
In 2025, Wambui was selected as a Lead Awardee under the Global Brain Health Institute Pilot Awards programme, delivered in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Society. Her project, ADVICE: Advance Dementia Information, Care and Education, focuses on developing locally relevant, evidence-based solutions to strengthen dementia awareness, caregiver education, and support systems.
The award is hosted and administered through the Aga Khan University Brain and Mind Institute, where the project is implemented under faculty supervision by Dr. Jasmit Shah and scientific mentorship by Dr Karen Blackmon. Wambui previously held leadership roles in the Dementia Education Exchange Program (DEEPIK) at the Alzheimer's and Dementia Organization Kenya and conducted research on perceptions of dementia among informal caregivers in Nairobi through the British Institute in Eastern Africa.
She is also a Global Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health fellow and coordinator of the Africa Brain Health Network. Through these roles, she has championed inclusive collaboration and co-led the development of tools to promote equity in applied dementia research. She is an active member of International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment, where she has served in the Low- and Middle-Income Countries Workgroup within the Diversities and Disparities Professional Interest Area.
Her work is driven by a commitment to improving dementia understanding, strengthening caregiver support, and building collaborative brain health ecosystems across Africa.
