ECR

Dr. Mildred Awuor Airo is a Lecturer and Head of Nanomaterials Research in the Department of Chemistry at Maseno University, Kenya. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of the Witwatersrand and a BSc (Hons) from Egerton University, and has completed three postdoctoral fellowships in South Africa. Her research focuses on functional nanomaterials for renewable energy, environmental sensing, and circular economy applications using biochar-derived materials. She has over 30 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 11), has received international awards from OWSD/TWAS-DFG, NRF South Africa, the Vallee Foundation, and the ARUA–Mastercard–Carnegie ECR Fellowship, and secured grants from Afretech–Carnegie Mellon, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and PHC France–Kenya Pamoja. She is an active STEM and DEI advocate, mentoring young scientists, bridging gender gaps through workshops and outreach, and consulting with Angaza Africa and E-Safiri.

Dr. Mujittapha Umar Sirajo is a Lecturer in the Department of Anatomy, Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare. He holds a PhD in Anatomy (Neuroscience) from Bayero University Kano. His current research focuses developing cost-effective nutritional and mobile‐health interventions to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease in low-resource settings. His work has attracted multiple international grants and recognitions, including Internal Brain Research Organization (2020, 2022, 2024), International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN) (2024), CAJAL Neurokit Grant (2023), among others. He has published 10 articles in high-impact Scopus indexed journals. He teaches anatomy, mentors students and collaborates to translate research into policy and practice.

Dr. Mwende Mbilo is an ARUA–Carnegie–Mastercard Early Career Research Fellow and Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Pretoria. She holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Nairobi, an MSc and a BSc in Physics from Pwani University. Her work focuses on materials science and renewable energy technologies, with a specialization in optoelectronic materials. She has published extensively and received awards, including the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents Award and the RSIF Junior Investigator Research Award (2025). Dr. Mbilo leads the RSIF/JIRA project and contributes to the development of next-generation materials for energy harvesting applications.

Dr. Ntombifuthi Precious Nzimande is a lecturer within the Discipline of Geography at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa. She received her Bachelors of Social Sciences in Geography and Environmental Management, Bachelor of Science (Honours), and Masters of Science qualifications from UKZN, and her Doctoral in Earth Sciences from the University of Szeged (summa cum laude). Ntombifuthi has recently completed her studies in Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education also from UKZN. Her research interests are multidisciplinary – cutting across geography, environmental education, disaster management. She is currently working on different projects involving environmental education, disaster management, green campus initiatives.

Dr. Onyekachi Ewa Ibe is a lecturer and haemato-oncology researcher with a PhD in Haematology and Blood Transfusion Science. Her work focuses on the molecular and inflammatory mechanisms of breast cancer progression, with particular interest in the role of coagulation pathways and tumor immune interactions. She has hands-on expertise in haematological analysis, molecular diagnostics, and cancer biomarker evaluation, and has contributed to peer-reviewed publications and competitive research proposals in oncology. Dr. Ibe is actively engaged in translational cancer research aimed at improving early detection and therapeutic strategies in resource-limited settings, while also mentoring emerging scientists in biomedical research and academic writing.

Palesa Nqambaza is an essayist and researcher whose work sits at the intersections of gender and race studies within the context of South African political history. Her work draws from indigenous epistemologies and various Black cultural forms to explore the intellectual and political dimensions of contemporary South Africa. Her current core project is an intellectual archaeology of South African feminist traditions. She is a CDTA Postdoctoral fellow at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and a recipient of the ARUA Early Career Fellowship, based at the Notions of Identity, Centre of Excellence.

Dr. Precious Wapukha is a lecturer of History in the department of social sciences Kibabii University. She holds a PhD in History from Masinde Muliro University, MA in History from Kibabii University, Bachelors of Education (Arts) from Moi University. Her research focuses on conflict, gender, governance and indigenous knowledge. She is a member of CODESRIA and the African Studies Center Leiden. She has participated in reputable workshops including MIASA, UNESCO and SSRC. She is also an AFRIAK Fellow researching about digitization of Bukusu oral histories as a pathway to cultural preservation.

Dr. Rapheal Wangalwa is a Lecturer in the Department of Biology at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda. He holds a PhD in Biology with specialization in Ecology and Ethnobotany. He is dedicated to advancing ecological research and biodiversity conservation while applying science-based solutions to pressing environmental and public health challenges. With expertise in ecology, microbiology, and GIS/Remote Sensing, he contributes to evidence-based policy and capacity building. Dr. Wangalwa is a PI/Co-PI on several projects, including the FUNGI-BIP a mycorrhizal fungi study project (SPUN-Funded), INTERACT-Africa green technologies initiative (EU-Funded), agro-climatic suitability modelling for key food crops (GoU-Funded), and the Novartem™ and pharma-grade excipients development project (GoU-Funded).

Dr. Ravaka Felandranja Andriatsitohaina, PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences from University of Antananarivo, is a lecturer-researcher at the Institut Supérieur de Technologie Régional de la Côte-Est, University of Toamasina, Madagascar. Her research focuses on the remediation of degraded soils, particularly those affected by erosion, as well as soils polluted by microplastics and heavy metals, with a strong emphasis on soil health and environmental sustainability. An alumna of the TWAS-SISSA Lincei and Eugen Ionescu programs, she is also the founder of Lonatany Madagascar, a consultancy firm supporting rural communities in their transition toward sustainable agricultural practices.

Dr. Ruth Lorivi Moirana is a lecturer at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Tanzania and a researcher at the University of Nairobi (UoN) in Kenya. She holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from NM-AIST which was obtained in 2023. She specializes in structural materials, with a focus on the remediation and treatment of contaminated soil, water, and wastewater. She is currently investigating the interactive behaviour between fluoride and soil elements in fluoride-contaminated soils. Dr. Moirana has received numerous honors, including being the 1st Runner-up in a business plan competition in 2022 and the Top PhD student in research and innovation at the School of Materials, Energy, Water, and Environmental Sciences (MEWES) in 2023 and won the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talent Award for Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024.