Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Belgium awarded me a senior postdoctoral fellowship. My project focuses on Precision identification of maternal health vulnerability in sub-Saharan African conurbations using advanced geospatial approaches. I continue to be based at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp. See a summary of my project here and here
Reproductive & Maternal Health unit, Department of Public Health: Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp
Research Fellow- (spatial epidemiology) July 2023 - present
Antwerp, Belgium
I work with Prof Lenka to better understand spatial inequities in maternal health interventions and services within urban areas in SSA. This includes i) modelling robust travel time to emergency care that incorporates referral pathways, ii) making inferences on the coverage of interventions at high spatial resolution, iii) understanding maternal health vulnerability and iv) validating global climate temperature gridded surfaces based on local data across cities in SSA.
Centre for Health Informatics, Computing, and Statistics, Lancaster University
Royal Society - Newton International fellow-postdoc March 2021-March 2023
Lancaster UK
Under the Newton International fellowship by The Royal Society I undertake a postdoc working with Dr Emanuele Giorgi to develop geostatistical methods for mapping disease prevalence in presence of incomplete spatial information in low resource settings
I work with the Population Health Unit where we continually explore population health at high spatial and temporal resolution. I closely work with Dr Prof Okiro and Prof Bob Snow on health geography
KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme
Career development fellow Octo 2020- Feb 2021
Nairobi, Kenya
Immediately after completing PhD, I had a career development year to chart a way for my research. I used this time mainly to finish my PhD papers, generate new ideas for applications and establish more collaborative and employment networks.
The Open University, UK & KWTRP
PhD spatial epidemiology, awarded November 2020
Milton Keynes, UK, & Nairobi, Kenya
I assessed child survival in Kenya since the 60s, the disparity in the coverage of child health interventions, and the impact of these interventions on child survival at the subnational level. Grateful to my supportive advisors, Emelda, Bob Snow, Benn Sartorius and Giorgi and the scholarship from The Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders. I worked with many stakeholders including the local media discussing child survival in Kenya with both the experts and the general audience. One of my PhD papers won an international award
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology
MSc. Geospatial Information Systems and Remote Sensing earned December 2017
Nairobi, Kenya
My passion for spatial health metrics and their application in better understanding health problems gave me an impetus to pursue a two-year MSc. used spatial models to estimate the number of pregnant women who likely missed a bed net during their antenatal clinics. My gratitude to the Higher Loans Education Board for the scholarship.
KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme
Assistant Geospatial research Officer Sept 2015- Feb 2017
Nairobi, Kenya
I was involved in mapping malaria prevalence, coverage of malaria control measures, modelling spatial accessibility and assembling spatial databases of health facilities. We worked closely with national malaria control programmes to support decision making using evidence through the LINK and INFORM projects. My career in health geography was shaped during this time by Prof Abdisalan Noor and Prof Bob Snow.
Postgraduate diploma in health research Methods Jan-Aug 2015
Kilifi and Nairobi, Kenya
I enjoyed sessions on epidemiology and research My project, analyzing spatial accessibility to basic public health services in South Sudan would form the basis of my interest in health geography. This was facilitated by a scholarship from The Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders (IDeAL).
Topsurv Geosystems Ltd
Geomatic Engineer, Jan-December 2014
Nairobi, Kenya
I was given my first opportunity to practice what I had learnt on Campus. I engaged in many engineering survey and cadastral projects. My most memorable days were surveying in Tatu city putting new survey beacons in the beautiful coffee bushes.
Jomo Kenyata University of Agriculture and Technology
B.Sc. Geomatic Engineering and Geospatial Information Systems earned June 2014
Nairobi, Kenya
I spent 5 years studying B.Sc. Geomatic Engineering & GIS. I learnt how to think spatially. I remember with Nostalgia, the Vice Chancellor’s academic excellence awards for three consecutive years and Alumni of the Year, years later.