Grace Wairimu
Manager
Grace Wairimu is a Project Management and Operations specialist with over 10 years of experience in project management, administration, operations, stakeholder engagement, financial oversight, and organizational effectiveness.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Grace serves as the Centre's Manager, overseeing administration and operations to support the effective delivery of programs and projects.
Her areas of expertise include operational planning, project lifecycle management, budget coordination, cross-functional team leadership, process improvement, and partnership management.
Through her work, she helps ensure that the Centre's research and program activities are delivered efficiently, accountably, and in line with institutional and donor requirements.
She holds a Master's of Arts in Project Planning and Management and a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing from the University of Nairobi.
Mwanajuma Bakari
Research Associate
Mwanajuma Bakari brings strong expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methods, with more than 14 years of experience in facility- and community-based research. Her work is grounded in ethical research practice, participant-centered engagement, and a commitment to improving public health outcomes through well-managed research processes.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Mwanajuma supports the African Research Leadership-Low Birth Weight (ARL-LBW) study in Kilifi County, Kenya. Her role includes participant recruitment, informed consent, data collection, data cleaning and validation, community engagement, follow-up, and referral coordination.
Mwanajuma is skilled in research data tools used to support data collection, management, analysis, and quality control, such as NVivo, REDCap, ODK, SurveyCTO, and Epi Info. She also mentors peer mothers and supports participant retention through community-based engagement.
She holds diplomas in Journalism and Mass Communication, and Psychology and Counselling.
Robin Owino
Data Associate
Robin Owino is a Data Associate whose work spans the full data lifecycle, from collection and storage to processing, analysis, access management, and archival. With more than eight years of experience in data management and analytics, Robin collaborates with multidisciplinary research teams to ensure high-quality data informs research implementation, statistical analysis, manuscript development, and reporting.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), he strengthens research infrastructure through data systems, workflows, quality assurance, integration, security, and compliance. Beyond his technical role, Robin supports capacity building and promotes strong data governance across research teams.
He holds a Bachelor's in Information Technology and is currently pursuing a Master's in Data Science.
Isaac Mwaniki
Study Coordinator
Isaac Mwaniki is a Research and Program Management Professional with extensive experience in generating and translating evidence into practical solutions that improve health outcomes for women, newborns, child, and adolescent health research across Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Isaac supports the coordination and management of research and capacity-strengthening programs. His work spans project implementation, clinical research operations, grant support, stakeholder engagement, regulatory compliance, donor reporting, and strategic partnership development.
He works closely with investigators, research teams, institutional partners, funding agencies, healthcare providers, and policymakers to ensure that studies are delivered efficiently and achieve their intended scientific and public health impact.
Through his work, he helps strengthen the link between research evidence, healthcare practice, and improved health outcomes.
Juma Gumbo,
Data Entry Clerk
Juma Gumbo is a Research Professional experienced in participant screening, informed consent, field data collection, data cleaning, query resolution, qualitative transcription and translation, and community engagement.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Juma serves as a Data Entry Clerk for the IMAMA study and Data Coordinator for the SmartSweep Pivotal Global Study, supporting clinical data processes, scan coordination, participant engagement, and site-level research operations.
Juma's work helps ensure that research data is accurate, ethically collected, and responsive to the communities CoEWCH, EA serves.
With more than a decade of experience in public health, clinical research, data management, and community-based health interventions in Kenya, Juma is proficient in electronic data collection and research data management platforms/tools including Medidata, REDCap, ODK, ODKx, Tafiti, and SurveyCTO.
Kelvin Mbote
Research Nurse
Kelvin Mbote is a Registered Nurse based in Kilifi County, Kenya, with more than five years of frontline clinical experience and strong expertise in maternal, neonatal, and child health research.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Kelvin serves as a Research Nurse and Lead Nurse Coordinator for the Malindi and Mariakani research sites.
He supports multi-site research activities, coordinates site operations, ensures protocol adherence, manages participant recruitment and follow-up, and maintains data quality standards.
Kelvin has contributed to maternal, newborn, and child health studies focused on pregnancy care, mother–baby health, iron and folic acid supplementation, and maternal Group B Streptococcus vaccine preparedness, including PRECISE, PRECISE-Dyad, IFAS, and the ongoing PROTECT Study. His work supports implementation science by helping translate evidence-based interventions into routine healthcare settings.
He also mentors clinical teams and supports facility readiness, healthcare worker training, and health systems strengthening across resource-constrained settings.
Hillary Koros
PhD Research Fellow
Hillary Koros is a mixed-methods Health Systems and Policy Researcher with more than eight years of experience in data-driven health research. His work sits at the intersection of health informatics, data science, and implementation science, with a focus on strengthening health systems through better use of health data.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Hillary serves as Research Project Coordinator for the CHANGEMAKER Project, which works with adolescents in urban Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Tanzania to reduce the risk of obesity and related non-communicable diseases through co-designed health, nutrition, and environmental interventions.
He also mentors early-career researchers in research methods, data collection, data management, and quantitative and qualitative analysis using tools such as R and NVivo.
Hillary holds a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Environmental Biology from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology. He is currently a PhD Research Fellow in Data Science at the University of Rwanda.
Margrette Hanselmann
Study Coordinator
Margrette Hanselmann is a Public Health Professional with over a decade of experience in research, community engagement, gender mainstreaming, and health systems strengthening.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), she serves as a Study Coordinator, supporting research on adolescent mental health, maternal wellbeing, youth participation, and gender-responsive support systems.
She has contributed to flagship studies such as INSPIRE, SUMMIT, and FURAHA, which focus on promoting adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Her work has supported the co-design of interventions to improve the wellbeing of pregnant and parenting adolescents, strengthen meaningful youth engagement, and explore how male supporters can contribute to better maternal and adolescent health outcomes.
Margrette is skilled in coordinating participatory workshops, stakeholder consultations, advisory groups, and community engagement processes. She also contributes to the Kilifi County Mental Health Technical Working Group.
Her work champions research conducted with communities, ensuring women, children, adolescents, and families help shape the programs and systems that affect their lives.
Dr. Mariam Masoud
Research Specialist
Dr. Mariam Masoud is a Physician, Researcher, and Public Health Practitioner with a strong interest in maternal, newborn, and child health, health systems strengthening, and innovation in low-resource settings.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), she serves as a Research Specialist, supporting the design, implementation, and evaluation of projects focused on improving health outcomes for women and children. Her work spans maternal health, digital health, health workforce experiences, implementation science, and point-of-care technologies.
A significant part of her work focuses on obstetric point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in underserved communities, including training, mentorship, quality assurance, and sustainable integration into routine pregnancy care.
Mariam also supports research coordination, scientific writing, data analysis, protocol development, and stakeholder engagement.
She holds an MBChB and is pursuing postgraduate training in Immunology and Public Health.
Mercyline Baya
Research Nurse Assistant
Mercyline Baya is a Research Nurse Assistant with experience in healthcare research, digital health systems, and data management.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Mercyline supports the maternal Group B Streptococcus vaccine preparedness (PROTECT Study) by training healthcare workers on the use of TaifaCare for data entry and management, conducting routine data quality checks, identifying inconsistencies, and supporting corrective actions to strengthen data integrity.
She also contributes to equipment management, helping to ensure that essential devices and resources are available, functional, and well-maintained for smooth project implementation.
Her professional interests include healthcare research, digital health innovation, data quality improvement, and capacity building within healthcare systems.
Moureen Itenyo
Registered Assistant
Moureen Itenyo is a Registered Nurse and Clinical Research Professional with experience spanning direct patient care, field research, and academic research environments.
She currently serves as a Research Assistant at the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), where she supports the PRETERM Africa clinical trial, a multi-country study evaluating respiratory management therapies in real-world, low-resource settings, with the aim of reducing mortality among preterm newborns.
She began her career in clinical nursing before transitioning into research, serving as a Senior Field Nurse and Research Assistant with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) Kenya.
Mwanajuma Khamis
Research Assistant
Mwanajuma Khamis is a Research Assistant and has experience in facility- and community-based research, qualitative and quantitative data collection, participant follow-up, community engagement, field coordination, and neurodevelopmental assessment.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), supporting the African Research Leadership (ARL) Low Birth Weight (LBW) study at Mariakani Sub-County Hospital in Kilifi County.
In her current role, she coordinates peer mother home visits, engages caregivers and healthcare workers, supports follow-up of low-birth-weight infants, and contributes to facility-level stakeholder engagement.
Having worked with the PRECISE project and later PRECISE-DYAD, Mwanajuma contributed to participant recruitment, follow-up visits, mother–infant tracking, community engagement, and data collection.
She is certified in the Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool (MDAT) and became an MDAT trainer in 2025.
Vincent Ambale
Data Associate
Vincent Ambale is a Statistician and Data Analyst who is skilled in using data to improve research quality, operational efficiency, and decision-making.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Vincent serves as a Data Associate, supporting data collection, management, analysis, and reporting for the iMAMA study.
His work includes maintaining accurate datasets, ensuring data quality, developing data management solutions, supporting clinical study monitoring, and providing timely information to researchers and project teams.
His expertise spans database management, data cleaning and validation, statistical analysis, dashboard development, reporting, and automation of routine data processes. He is skilled in statistical and analytical tools like Microsoft Excel, R, Python, Stata, and SPSS.
Through his work, Vincent helps transform raw data into clear, useful insights that support research, monitoring, evaluation, and planning. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Statistics with Information Technology from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.
Nuru Omar
Community Engagement Assistant
Nuru Omar is a Community Health Professional with experience in participant recruitment, community mobilization, qualitative and quantitative data collection, translation and transcription, stakeholder engagement, Community Advisory Board meetings, and dissemination of study findings.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Nuru serves as a Community Engagement Assistant for the AIMIX Study, supporting community engagement for research on inclusive imaging artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to improve access to effective obstetric ultrasound screening in resource-limited rural settings.
Her work focuses on strengthening engagement between research teams and communities, promoting participation, building trust, and ensuring that research activities are respectful, inclusive, and responsive to community needs.
She holds a Diploma in Community Health from the Tropical Institute of Community Health and Development and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's in Community Health at Great Lakes University of Kisumu.
Onesums Wanje
Community Liaison Specialist
Onesmus Wanje is a Community Liaison Specialist who brings expertise in public and community engagement, qualitative and mixed-methods research, implementation science, research operations, and policy advocacy.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Onesmus currently supports the PROTECT Study within the Maternal Health Core.
With over seven years of experience in health research along the Kenyan coast, Onesmus bridges researchers, health workers, and local communities, ensuring that community perspectives shape research design, implementation, and knowledge sharing.
Additionally, he supports ethics and stakeholder engagement processes, including engagement with County Health Research Committees. He holds a BSc in Community Health and is currently completing his Master's in Public Health.
Rachael Charo
Research Assistant and Clinical Psychologist
Rachael Charo is a registered and licensed Counselling Psychologist with over 11 years of experience providing compassionate, client-centered mental health support.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), she works as a Research Assistant and Clinical Psychologist under the African Research Leadership (ARL) Low Birth Weight Infant Study.
In this role, she provides psychological support to mothers who give birth to low-birth weight babies, helping strengthen emotional wellbeing within maternal and child health research.
Her practice draws on evidence-based approaches including psychodynamic, humanistic, behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and integrative methods. She holds a Diploma in Counselling and Psychology from Amani Training Institute and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Counselling Psychology.
Rachael is also recognized by the Ministry of Health's Counsellors and Psychologists Board and is a member of the Kenya Counselling and Psychological Association.
Sharon Konde
Research Assistant
Sharon Konde is a Research Assistant with experience in qualitative and quantitative health research, particularly in maternal, newborn, and child health.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Sharon supports participant recruitment, informed consent, data collection, participant follow-up, peer mother linkage, community engagement, and referral coordination.
She collects data using a range of research tools and has supported anthropometric measurements, structured assessments, child neurodevelopmental evaluations, interviews, transcription, translation, and data quality checks. She also conducts home follow-up visits and traces study participants to promote retention and continuity of care.
In addition to her research responsibilities, Sharon provides initial emotional support to participants and peer mothers after sensitive data collection activities. Her work contributes to studies aimed at improving newborn and child health, especially after hospital discharge.
She has a diploma in Medical Social Work and Development and in Community Health.
Thoya Ali
Nurse and Research Assistant
Thoya Ali is a qualified nurse and Research Assistant with experience in healthcare research, clinical practice, and study implementation.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), he supports the PRETERM Africa Study, a multi-country clinical study focused on improving respiratory management and health outcomes for preterm newborns in low-resource settings.
Drawing on his nursing background, he is passionate about evidence-based practice and the role of high-quality research in improving maternal and newborn health.
He brings strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills to his work with research participants, healthcare professionals, and multidisciplinary teams.
Andrew Mwongera
PhD Research Fellow
Andrew Mwongera is a Biostatistician and Health Data Scientist whose work combines statistics, machine learning, and population health, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Andrew is a PhD Research Fellow under the BRIDGE Network program. He supports the work in health data science, statistical methodology, and the use of real-world health data to generate reliable evidence for policy and practice. He is skilled in statistical modelling and analytical tools including R, Python, and SQL.
Andrew holds an MSc in Applied Statistics from Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, China, and a BSc in Statistics from the University of Nairobi. His PhD will be conferred by the University of Rwanda.
Elijah Mwagambo
Research Nurse
Elijah Mwagambo is a Registered Community Health Nurse with experience in clinical care, maternal and newborn health, community engagement, and health research.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), he supports the PROTECT Study at Mariakani Sub-County Hospital in Kilifi County. Through this work, he contributes to Group B Streptococcus surveillance and maternal vaccination preparedness, helping generate evidence to inform future strategies for protecting newborns from preventable infections.
His role includes participant screening, sample collection, clinical monitoring, data entry, laboratory results follow-up, and coordination of sample shipment to the main laboratory.
He also supports community engagement, health education, and trust-building between researchers, health workers, mothers, infants, and the wider community. His work helps strengthen ethical research implementation, vaccine confidence, and collaboration within local health facilities.
Susan Gitonga
Research Nurse
Susan Gitonga is a Registered Community Health Nurse and Research Nurse who helps ensure that research procedures are conducted ethically, accurately, and in line with approved study protocols.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Susan supports the iMAMA SmartSweep Validation Study, where she contributes to data collection and study implementation.
She supports the collection of high-quality data for the validation of innovative approaches to maternal and fetal health assessment. Additionally, Susan coordinates and supports novice researchers and sonographers involved in the study, helping strengthen collaboration, consistency, and adherence to protocol.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Ann Muisyo
Data Coordinator
Ann Muisyo is a Data Coordinator who supports research data management within maternal and child health programs, helping strengthen the quality and integrity of data used to inform evidence-based healthcare improvements.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Ann supports the iMAMA SmartSweep Validation Study at the Nairobi site.
She is part of the study's data team, where she supports data entry, verification, documentation, and coordination of research data processes. Her work helps ensure that study information is accurate, complete, well organized, and aligned with approved protocols and timelines.
Ann also contributes to routine data quality checks and works closely with study team members to support smooth implementation, reliable documentation, and efficient access to study records for review, analysis, and reporting.
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Dr. Angela Koech
Assistant Professor
Dr. Angela Koech is a clinician-researcher whose work sits at the intersection of obstetrics, epidemiology, and global health. She is an obstetrician-gynecologist with research training in epidemiology and was awarded her PhD in 2025.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Dr. Koech serves as Assistant Professor and Women's Health Thematic Lead. She provides scientific and strategic leadership for the Centre's women's health research portfolio, oversees the design and conduct of studies, and mentors early-career researchers.
Her work spans pregnancy cohort epidemiology, maternal diagnostics, infectious diseases in pregnancy, and maternal vaccinology. She has contributed to studies including PRECISE, PRECISE-Dyad, AIMIX, TraCer, and PROTECT.
As Kenya's Principal Investigator for PROTECT, she supports pregnancy registries and clinical trial infrastructure in preparation for Group B Streptococcus vaccine introduction. Her work helps translate research into policy and practice for women in low-resource settings.
Peter Okumu
Driver
Peter Okumu is a professional driver who supports the administration and operations department, particularly in transport, logistics, and general office support services.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa, Peter provides safe, reliable, and timely transportation for staff, official materials, and administrative activities that support the smooth running of the Centre.
Through his work, Peter helps ensure that staff, equipment, and documents are moved efficiently and safely across different assignments. His contribution is central to the Centre's day-to-day operations, including field activities, meetings, and program-related engagements.
By supporting safe and dependable mobility, Peter enables staff and teams to carry out their responsibilities effectively and contributes to the Centre's overall operational efficiency.
Catherine Mwangi
Research Specialist
Catherine Mwangi is a Research Specialist – Community Engagement whose role contributes to stronger community partnerships, successful research implementation, and improved health outcomes for women, children, and vulnerable communities.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa, Catherine currently leads and supports the community component of the iMAMA/Pivotal SmartSweep Validation Study, overseeing patient follow-up and coordinating community activities.
Her work focuses on strengthening collaboration between researchers, health care providers, community stakeholders, and participants to support trust, effective communication, and meaningful community engagement.
She has extensive experience implementing Kenya's Community Health Strategy and working with existing community structures to promote health education, service uptake, and informed participation in research.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University.
Peter Pascal
ICT and Data Manager
Peter Pascal is an ICT and data management professional with over a decade of experience in technical support, digital health systems, and research data infrastructure.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Peter supports the iMAMA Study by strengthening digital systems, managing research data workflows, troubleshooting ICT needs, and ensuring reliable tools for data collection, storage, and reporting.
His work includes designing and deploying electronic data collection systems, strengthening data quality assurance, developing near-real-time dashboards, supporting system integration, and securely managing sensitive research datasets.
Peter is skilled in electronic data capture platforms including REDCap, ODK, KoboCollect, and Medidata Solutions; programming and statistical tools such as Python and R; SQL database management; and cloud platforms including AWS and Azure.
Festus Mutuku
Office Assistant
Festus Mutuku is an Office Assistant whose role is maintaining organized filing systems, monitoring office supplies, supporting timely approvals of physical files, and providing logistical support during meetings, training, and workshops, among other administrative activities.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), supporting the smooth day-to-day running of office and administrative operations.
His work includes document preparation, photocopying, filing, scanning, records management, correspondence handling, and reception duties. He also supports meeting room preparation, office logistics, scheduling, visitor reception, and communication across teams and departments.
With strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills, he helps create a professional, welcoming, and efficient work environment. His dependable support enables research, administrative, and leadership teams to focus on delivering the Centre's programs and research activities effectively.
Belinder Orero
Administrative Officer
Belinder Orero is an Administrative Officer who supports the coordination of research project activities by helping ensure that administrative systems are well organized and day-to-day operations run smoothly.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Belinder supports the smooth coordination of research project activities through documentation, scheduling, records management, team communication, and logistical support. Her work helps keep administrative processes organized, responsive, and aligned with project timelines.
With a background in Community Health and Community Development, Belinder's work supports research implementation in areas such as maternal and child health, community health, community development, health education, and access to essential health information and services.
Joseph Mutunga
Research Specialist
Joseph Mutunga is a Medical Laboratory Technologist and Research Specialist with seven years of experience in clinical diagnostics, laboratory quality management, health research, and laboratory operations.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Joseph supports laboratory and research activities across multiple projects, including the REKAP and PRECISE GBS-A studies, which examine how bacterial infections contribute to stillbirths, early newborn deaths, and breathing difficulties at birth in sub-Saharan Africa.
His work involves coordinating laboratory operations, managing supplies and inventories, processing and analyzing biological specimens, performing specialized laboratory assays, maintaining equipment, and ensuring quality assurance and quality control.
Joseph currently leads laboratory analyses using frozen biospecimens archived from the PRECISE project, supporting research on adverse pregnancy outcomes, including stillbirth. Through his work, he helps ensure the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of laboratory data used in maternal and neonatal health research.
Nancy Gichobi
Administrative Officer
Nancy Gichobi is an Administrative Officer with over 10 years of experience providing high-level administrative, executive, and operational support.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Nancy supports the smooth functioning of the Centre through executive calendar management, meeting coordination, travel and logistics planning, documentation, records management, procurement support, and day-to-day administrative operations.
Her work helps ensure that administrative systems are organized, responsive, and aligned with the Centre's priorities. She also supports meetings, workshops, conferences, stakeholder engagements, and internal communication across teams.
Through effective planning, coordination, and a keen eye for detail, Nancy helps create an efficient working environment that allows leadership and technical teams to focus on research, education, capacity building, partnerships, and improving health outcomes for women and children.
Patience Kombe
Administrative Officer
Patience Kombe is an Administrative Officer who supports project administration and operations by coordinating office activities, project logistics, meetings, events, documentation, procurement processes, travel arrangements, and day-to-day administrative requests.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Patience helps ensure that project teams have the resources, information, and operational support needed to implement activities efficiently and within set timelines.
Additionally, Patience works closely with project staff, partners, consultants, and stakeholders to support smooth communication, organized records management, and timely execution of administrative processes in line with institutional policies.
Through her coordination and behind-the-scenes support, she contributes to an efficient working environment that enables research and program teams to focus on improving the health and wellbeing of women, children, and communities.
George Obanda
Data Associate
George Obanda is a Data Associate with a background in data management, health research, information systems, and analytics.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), George supports research studies and program activities through database development, electronic data collection systems, data quality monitoring, user account management, study device support, participant identification systems, and data security processes.
His work spans research data management and digital health systems, including the design, testing, and maintenance of study databases and data collection tools. He also supports data cleaning, troubleshooting, reporting, staff training, and secure data access and sharing across study teams and partner institutions.
Through his work, George helps strengthen research operations and supports evidence-informed decision-making to improve maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health outcomes.
Wangu Kanuri
Communications Officer
Wangu Kanuri is a Communications Professional and Storyteller who supports strategic communication, research storytelling, visibility, media engagement, and making research accessible to diverse audiences.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Wangu serves as a communications officer who contributes by translating research into clear, compelling, and human-centered stories that connect evidence to real-world experiences.
Through communication products, media engagement, digital content, and project visibility support, I help highlight the Centre's impact, amplify untold stories, and strengthen public understanding of work that improves the health and wellbeing of women, children, adolescents, families, and communities.
She is an international award finalist who was recognized for storytelling that highlights complex issues with sensitivity, clarity, and professionalism.
Dr. Jemima Nyandwaro
Research Officer and Study Coordinator
Dr. Jemima Nyandwaro is a Research Officer and Study Coordinator whose work involves study implementation, regulatory and ethical compliance, stakeholder engagement, and data quality oversight.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Aga Khan University, Dr. Nyandwaro coordinates the PRETERM Africa Study, a multi-country clinical trial aimed at improving the management and outcomes of respiratory distress syndrome among preterm newborns in sub-Saharan Africa.
She also serves as Co-Principal Investigator on a study strengthening the safety of intravenous fluid and medication administration among children in hospital settings.
She is a medical doctor and holds an MSc in Tropical Medicine from the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
Lorna Andisi
Research Assitant
Lorna Andisi is a Research Assistant whose work combines maternal and child health research, community engagement, and communication.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Lorna supports the Africa Research Leadership Low Birthweight (ARL LBW) Infant Study, which focuses on peer-to-peer support among mothers and the care of low-birth-weight babies after hospital discharge.
Her role includes liaising with health facility staff, identifying and screening eligible participants, supporting informed consent, following up with enrolled participants, and contributing to public engagement activities.
With a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, with a major in Public Relations and Advertising, Lorna helps strengthen participant engagement and supports research that improves outcomes for women, newborns, and families.
Omar Mwakusema
Data Officer
Omar Mwakusema is a Data Officer who supports informed consent processes, participant confidentiality, data entry, query resolution, missing data follow-up, documentation, and secure data storage.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Omar supports data collection and compliance with research ethics procedures for the iMAMA Study across health facility and community activities.
His work focuses on ensuring data integrity, accuracy, confidentiality, security, and timely availability from collection to analysis, while supporting scientific integrity, regulatory compliance, and readiness for study monitoring and audits.
He holds a Diploma in Community Development and has over 17 years of research experience at community and institutional levels in Kenya.
Morgan Matete
Research Assistant Nurse
Morgan Matete is a registered nurse and emerging health research professional committed to strengthening maternal and newborn health services, informing health policy, and improving health outcomes in resource-limited settings.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), he serves as a Research Assistant Nurse, supporting the coordination and implementation of health research projects across community and facility-based settings.
His work includes participant recruitment, informed consent, structured data collection, participant follow-up, protocol implementation, and quality assurance. Drawing on his clinical nursing background, Morgan helps ensure that research activities are conducted ethically, accurately, and in line with approved study procedures. He also supports field coordination, data verification, team communication, and resolution of operational challenges during study implementation.
Timothy Ndambiri
Research Officer
Timothy Ndambiri is a Public Health Researcher with expertise in health systems strengthening, implementation science, clinical and translational research, capacity strengthening, and stakeholder engagement.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Timothy serves as a Research Officer under the PRETERM Africa Study, a multi-country pragmatic clinical trial evaluating low-cost respiratory care interventions for newborns with respiratory distress syndrome across Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic.
His role includes protocol implementation, stakeholder engagement, regulatory compliance, data management, and coordination between clinical, research, and support teams to ensure the study is conducted efficiently and ethically.
Timothy supports research within reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health, with a focus on strengthening healthcare delivery and bridging the gap between evidence and practice.
He also contributes to documentation, dissemination, and knowledge-sharing activities that support sustainable research capacity.
Joycelyn Kathembe
Research Associate and Study Coordinator
Joycelyn Kathembe is a Registered Public Health Nutritionist and Clinical Research Professional with over a decade of experience in maternal, newborn, and child health research.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), she serves as a Research Associate and Study Coordinator, leading the implementation and coordination of multi-site clinical and implementation research studies focused on neonatal nutrition, growth, neurodevelopment, and family-centered care.
Joycelyn has expertise in grant writing, research implementation, project management, stakeholder engagement, capacity strengthening, and mixed-methods research. She also trains and mentors healthcare workers, research teams, community advisory boards, peer supporters, and postgraduate trainees in research design, study implementation, data management, and analysis.
Through her work, she contributes to research and interventions that improve child survival, growth, and neurodevelopment in resource-limited settings.
Violet Naanyu
Visiting Research Scientist
Professor Violet Naanyu is a mixed-methods social science researcher with training in Sociology, Medical Anthropology, and Global Bioethics.
Her work applies qualitative, mixed-methods, implementation science, and community-engaged research approaches to understand the social, cultural, ethical, and health system factors that shape illness, care, and research participation.
She is an Associate Professor at Moi University and a Visiting Research Scientist at the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA). At the centre, Violet supports interdisciplinary research, capacity development, grant writing, protocol implementation, and supervision of research fellows across reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health.
She is also Deputy to the AKU UNESCO Chair on Youth Leadership in Science, Health, Gender and Education, and serves as lead social scientist on vaccine-related studies, including PROTECT, maternal vaccine safety registry research, and dengue vaccine research.
She has authored over 140 refereed publications.
Nathan Barreh
Research Assistant
Nathan Barreh has over five years of experience in conducting in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, coordinating field activities, and working with research teams, healthcare providers, and community stakeholders to ensure studies are implemented ethically, efficiently, and in line with approved protocols.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Nathan serves as a Research Assistant with expertise in qualitative and quantitative health research.
His work supports research operations, field implementation, and data quality management across maternal, newborn, and child health studies. He contributes to participant recruitment, community engagement, data collection, quality assurance, database management, study coordination, and research logistics.
He holds a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations.
Dr. Amos Langat
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Amos Langat is a Mathematical Statistician, Biostatistician, and Health Data Scientist with expertise in statistical modelling, artificial intelligence, health informatics, and interdisciplinary health research.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), he serves as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, leading the Integrated Data Science and Health Informatics portfolio within the BRIDGE Network program.
His work focuses on strengthening health data systems through integrated databases, electronic health record analytics, data quality assurance, statistical modelling, data governance, and digital health innovation.
Dr. Langat works with multidisciplinary teams to support maternal, newborn, child, adolescent, and women's health research. He also contributes to research design, data management strategies, grant development, scientific publications, and capacity strengthening for postgraduate students and early-career researchers.
He holds a PhD in Mathematics and Statistics, an MSc in Applied Statistics, and a BSc in Economics and Mathematics.
Emmah Ng'ang'a
Research Specialist and Study Coordinator
Emmah Ng'ang'a is a Social Scientist and mixed-methods researcher with over 10 years of experience in health and social science research, particularly qualitative research.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Emmah serves as a Research Specialist and Study Coordinator for the AIMIX Project. She supports multidisciplinary research across study design, implementation, data collection, analysis, stakeholder engagement, and dissemination.
Her work focuses on maternal and child health research, with emphasis on the ethical, social, and implementation aspects of digital health and artificial intelligence in healthcare.
She also serves as a predoctoral researcher at the University of Barcelona, where her research examines how emerging health technologies can be developed and implemented in ways that align with local contexts, needs, and values.
Emmah holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and Sociology, a Master's in Economic Policy Management, and is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya.
Lucy Nyaga
Project Manager
Lucy is a Project Manager with over 10 years of experience in community health, health systems strengthening, and research implementation, promoting maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) across Kenyan counties.
At the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, East Africa (CoEWCH, EA), Lucy manages an artificial intelligence-enabled obstetric ultrasound implemented across counties in the Coast region to improve access to quality antenatal care through innovative technologies.
Additionally, Lucy has extensive experience implementing donor-funded health and research programs in collaboration with the Ministry of Health at various levels of care, strengthening health systems, advancing evidence-based decision-making, and improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.
Her work includes supporting the development of Kenya's Health Management Information Systems (HMIS), managing digital health and obstetric ultrasound research projects, and coordinating stakeholder engagement for synergistic outcomes.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Master's of Community Health and Development.
