Dr Vibian Angwenyi
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr Angwenyi is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute. She holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from Moi University and a master's degree in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her joint doctorate degree in global health under the Erasmus Mundus programme scholarship was pursued at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands), Barcelona Institute for Global Health (Spain), and the Institute for Tropical Medicine (Antwerp-Belgium). Vibian's research interests and expertise are in early child development, mixed methods research, health systems, and implementation science.
Dr Phyllis Magoma
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr Magoma is a Postdoctorate research Fellow at the Institute for Human Development. She holds a PhD in Early Childhood Studies and a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education (ECE) from Kenyatta University. Her research interests are in Early Childhood Development where she hopes to see that all children no matter their background grow and thrive to reach their full developmental potential in life.
Dr Moses Kachama
Research Hub Manager
Dr Kachama, PhD Global Mental Health (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), is a manager at the Institute supporting a research hub that seeks to develop, validate, and disseminate predictive models for poor outcomes among young Africans in two domains: Mental Health and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. His background training is in Nursing from the University of Nairobi. He also holds a postgraduate diploma in Health Research Methods from Pwani University and MSc in Global Mental Health from the University of London. Moses is interested in understanding the burden of mental disorders among adolescents and young adults from low-income settings, and evaluating potential interventions for addressing mental disorders in this sub-population.
Ms Marangu is the Manager for the ECD Workforce Hub hosted by the Institute for Human Development. She was previously a Project Coordinator for the Scaling Up Playful Parenting Project co-funded by UNICEF/LEGO Foundation and the Aga Khan Foundation USA, and has held other research positions in the Institute. Her research interests include: early childhood development, child health and nutrition, child poverty and social protection. Joyce holds a B.A in Social Work from the University of Nairobi, M.A in Development Studies from Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, and an M.A in Development Studies from the University of the Western Cape. She is currently pursuing a doctorate at Stellenbosch University. She is also an Africa Early Childhood Development Network Fellow.
Ms Tumaini is a Project Coordinator responsible for the day to day running of the Aga Khan University Women Leadership Academy based in Kenya. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Counselling Psychology and an International Diploma in Administration from Cambridge College - Distance Learning. She has vast experience in psychological assessments for both clinical and research purposes and over 15 years’ experience in administration from KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme Kilifi having been the administrative assistant in the Neuroscience Department. Her main interests are in providing mental health literacy (especially to young adults, women and caregivers), assessments, and facilitating timely referrals or interventions.
Moses Wanami
Research Manager
Mr Wanami is the Research Manager for the Porticus project hosted by the Institute for Human Development. He has an innovative 14+ years of professional working experience managing development cooperation programs in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Sudan. He holds a master's degree in Business Administration (Strategic Management), a Bachelor of Arts Degree in (Social Sciences) Social Administration & Sociology from Makerere University and a certificate in Monitoring, Evaluation & project management. Before joining the Institute, he worked with international multicultural organizations like Mary's Meals, Camber Collective LNG 1.5 mg contraceptive research project, the Institute of War and Reporting (IWPR), American Chamber of Commerce, Ipas, RTI International and the British Council.
Caroline Muthoni
Project Manager
Ms Muthoni is the Project Manager for a climate change and health project called ENBEL that is housed at the Institute. She has a BSc in Community Resource Management from Kenyatta University and is currently pursuing her MSc in Global Health at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. She has extensive experience managing projects and coordinating different research studies including qualitative inquiries, cross-sectional studies and RCTs on areas like HIV/AIDS, social justice, WASH, urban development, sexual reproductive health and rights, nutrition and climate change. She is interested in tackling global health challenges and addressing climate change and health issues in Africa through research to inform policy and action.
Roselyne Nguti
Project Coordinator
Ms Nguti is the project coordinator of NeuroDev study in IHD. She is a graduate nurse (BSc. N, University of Nairobi) with a post graduate diploma in Health Research Methods and MSc. Immunology. Both of her post graduate studies were obtained from Pwani University in collaboration with KEMRI-Wellcome Trust (KWTRP). Previously, she worked as a nurse at Kakamega County Hospital and Nairobi Radiology Clinic. She has also participated in research at KWTRP. Her professional interest is in academia.
Esther Chongwo
PhD fellow
Ms Chongwo is a PhD fellow at the Institute. She has a background training in Nursing and Public Health from Kenyatta University, a postgraduate diploma in Health Research Methods from Pwani University, and a master's degree in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is currently pursuing her doctorate studies at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands), where she seeks to understand the risks and resilience in children from arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya and Tanzania. Previously, she worked on a project aimed at developing measures of adolescent connectedness and character development in Kenya. Her interests are in early childhood development, mental health, and positive youth development.
Beatrice Mkubwa
PhD fellow
Ms Mkubwa is a PhD fellow at the Institute. She has a background training in BSc. Nursing from Moi University, a postgraduate diploma in Health Research Methods from Pwani University, and a master's degree in Implementation Science from the University of the Witwatersrand. Beatrice also has clinical research experience in understanding child neurodevelopment and health systems which she gained during her previous work at KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme. She is currently pursuing a doctorate at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands). She has keen interest in child and adolescent mental health, neurodevelopment, implementation science, and mixed methods research.
Faith Neema
PhD fellow
Ms Neema is a PhD fellow at the Institute working on a project that deals with Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. She holds an MSc in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and a master's degree in Machine Intelligence from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Ghana. She is passionate about finding solutions to health-related problems using Artificial Intelligence.
Daisy Chelangat
Research Officer
Ms Chelangat is a Research officer at the Institute for Human Development. She has a Master of Science degree in Applied Statistics from Kabianga university and a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied statistics with Computing from Masai Mara University. She has over 3 years of experience in data analysis, reporting and manuscript writing. Previously, she worked at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust research program. Her professional interests lie in using data to provide evidence for policy and decision-making and to foster high-quality research by ensuring quality data collection, plausible data analysis and correct reporting.
Sabina Odero
Research Officer
Ms Odero is a Research Officer at the Institute for Human Development. She has background training in Environmental Science from Kenyatta University, a postgraduate diploma in Health Research Methods from Pwani University and a master's degree in Global Health and Development from University College London (UCL). Her research interests and expertise are in qualitative research, health systems research with a focus on human resources for health, and psychosocial well-being of health workers in Africa.
Susan Nyamanya
ECD Technical Assistant
Ms Nyamanya is an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Technical Assistant at the Institute with over 10 years experience in managing and coordinating ECD projects. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Kenyatta University and a higher Diploma in Project Management from the Kenya Institute of Management. She also has certification in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) from the Humanitarian Academy and Science of Early Child development (SECD) certification from the Aga Khan University. Prior to joining the institute, she worked for the Aga Khan Foundation. Her interests lie in advocacy, programme planning and management, monitoring and evaluation in the areas of gender and child development.
Eunice Wandei
Research Associate
Mrs Wandei is a Research Associate at the Institute. She holds a bachelor's degree in Project Planning and Management from the University of Nairobi, a diploma in Health Care Management from Kenya Institute of Management and a diploma in Occupational Therapy from Kenya Medical Training College Nairobi.
She has previously worked at the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK) on a research project for Youths with Disabilities funded by the Department of International Development (DFID) UK. She also has skills in the Kenyan Sign Language. Her interests are in Community Programme Management, Advocacy for the Rights of Children with Disabilities and Research.
Eunice Njoroge
Project Officer
Ms Njoroge is a Project Officer at the institute. She holds a BSc in Food Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University. She has worked extensively in the research and implementation of projects centred around early childhood development within urban informal settlements. She has also practiced as a clinical nutritionist. Eunice is passionate about championing for healthy communities through the optimization of maternal and child nutrition as well as food security programs. Her interests are in implementation science, policy and advocacy geared towards strengthening health systems.
Eunice Ombech
Community Liaison Officer
Ms Ombech is the Community Liaison Officer at the Institute. She holds a B.Ed in Early Childhood Education from Kenyatta University, and has experience in the coordination and implementation of Early Childhood Development interventions within the urban informal settlements of Nairobi. Her interests are in the areas of implementation science, family caregiver programs that positively impact developmental outcomes in children and Early Childhood Development research that informs policy change.
Adam Mabrouk
Research Assistant
Mr Mabrouk is a Research Assistant at IHD. He is graduate of Kenyatta University- School of Public Health with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health. He is currently pursuing a MPhil in Public Mental Health at University of Cape Town. Adam's interests are in the etiology of mental disorders in society as well as conceptualization and prevalence of mental illness particularly among adolescents.
Gideon Mbithi
Research Assistant
Mr Mbithi is a Research Assistant at the Institute. He holds a BSc in Geospatial Information Science from Maseno University and a postgraduate diploma in Health Research Methods from Pwani University. He was previously based at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programe, where he examined the epidemiology and outcomes of traumatic brain injuries among patients admitted to Kilifi County Hospital. He is currently working on a research project that aims to assess and support mental health outcomes among adolescents in Kenya and Uganda. His interests are in global health and epidemiology.
Millicent Makandi
Research Assistant
Ms Makandi is a Research Assistant at the Institute. She holds a BSc in Nursing and Public Health from Pwani University. She was previously attached at KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme while doing her postgraduate diploma in Health Research Methods and has also worked at the Ministry of Health. She is passionate and keen to strengthen the maternal and child workforce's capacity and foster a multisectoral approach to sustain integrated service delivery, thus promoting holistic growth in children.
Wesley Ogari
Research Assistant
Mr Ogari is a Research Assistant at the Institute. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Nkumba University-Uganda and an MA in Project Planning & Management from the University of Nairobi. He is knowledgeable in the areas of Project Planning, Implementation and Evaluation. He has worked with Population Council, Family Health International, Amref, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), and the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). In these organisations, he has worked as a Field Research Coordinator, Supervisor and Research Assistant on various projects advocating for women and adolescent sexual reproductive health rights and education all which have formed his core areas of interest.
Anita Kerubo
Research Assistant
Ms Kerubo is a Research Assistant at the Institute. She has a background training in Applied Statistics from Maseno University and a postgraduate diploma in Health Research Methods from Pwani University. She was previously attached at KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme where she worked on epilepsy-related data. Her current research interests are in adolescents’ well-being and their positive development.
Peninah Wachira
Research Assistant
Ms Wachira is a Research Assistant at the Instutute. She holds a BSc in Environmental Health from Moi University and a postgraduate diploma in Health Research Methods from Pwani University. Previously, she worked at KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme where she interacted with county health systems and worked with women living with epilepsy. Her interests are in mental health, vaccine research, mixed methods research, implementation science and general population health.
Tabitha Shali
Research Assistant
Ms Shali is a Research assistant at the Institute. She holds a bachelor's degree in Nursing from the University of Nairobi and has vast experience in both hospital and medical research settings. Her key interests revolve around neurodevelopment in children, community mental health and health policy.
Solomon Njenga
Research Assistant
Mr Njenga is a Research Assistant at the Institute for Human Development. He has a background training in Mathematics and Economics from Maseno University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Research Methods from Pwani University. He was previously attached to KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme where he worked on economic evaluation methods and models. His current research interests are in whole child development, economic evaluation in healthcare, and health economics.
Edwin Dzoro
Research Assistant
Mr Dzoro is a Research Assistant at the Institute. He holds a BSc in Economics and Statistics from the University of Nairobi and a postgraduate diploma in Health Research Methods from Pwani University. He previously worked at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, the County government of Kilifi and the Ministry of Energy as an economist/fiscal analyst. He is currently working on a research project that aims to strengthen research knowledge translation on Whole Child Development in Kenya and Uganda.
Ann Karendi
Research Assistant
Ms Karendi is a Research Assistant at the Institute. She holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology and a Diploma in Social work and Social Development from the University of Nairobi. Previously, she worked with Concern World Wide in the Food and Safety program for children and mothers in the informal settlements of Nairobi. She brings vast knowledge in research and psycho-social interventions. She is passionate about children's well-being and advocacy geared towards a safe environment and the provision of basic needs.
Nimo Jamal
Research Assistant
Ms Jamal is a Research Assistant at the Institute for Human Development, working on different mental health projects. She has been in the mental health field for five years and considers herself a mental health practitioner as well as a mental health advocate. She holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Counselling from KCA University, a Diploma in Psychology from KCA University and a Diploma in Psychology from Africa Nazarene University. She is also certified by the Kenya Counselling and Psychological Association. Nimo prides herself in supporting individuals dealing with mental health challenges in the hopes of finding solutions through her work and research.
Brenda Nzioka
Project Assistant
Ms Nzioka is a Project Assistant at IHD. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Special Needs Education at Kenyatta University. Her research interests are in inclusion and mainstreaming of persons living with disabilities and ECD.
Veronicah Achoki
Field Enumerator
Ms Achoki is a Field Enumerator at the Institute. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Kenyatta University. She has vast experience in conducting surveys and interviews for both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Before joining the Institute she worked at The Population Council as a Field Interviewer. Ms Achoki is interested in improving the mental health of children with developmental disorders.
Martha Kaniala
Research Field Enumerator
Ms Kaniala is a Research Field Enumerator at the Institute for Human Development. She holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology with IT from Maseno University. Before joining the Institute, she worked with Catholic Relief Services. Her current research interest is in evidence-based policy and planning – supporting children's holistic development in marginalized communities.
Maureen Ooko
Communications Officer
Ms Ooko is the Communications Officer at the institute. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Communication Studies at the University of Nairobi. Maureen has worked in various multinational organisations where she has horned her communications skills. Her interests are in public relations and development communication.
Mike Kariuki
Communications Associate
Mr Kariuki is a Communications Associate at the Institute. He has vast experience and expertise in the areas of communications, brand management and digital communication. Prior to joining the Institute, Mr Kariuki worked at various organisations including UNHABITAT and WOWZI Technologies. He also worked as a digital consultant. He has a BA in Communication studies from the University of Nairobi and a certificate in Social media Marketing from Hubspot Academy. He is passionate about using digital communication to address 21st-century challenges such as poverty, climate change and health.
Esther Peter
Administration & Communications Officer
Ms Peter is the institute's Administrative & Communications Officer. Esther has a master's degree in Development Communication and a BA in Public Relations from Daystar University. She has previously held positions at Syngenta AG as a Corporate Affairs Assistant- Africa and Middle East Region, and Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission at the Public Relations office. Her interests are in the areas of Development Communication.
