I am a professor, educator and health scientist. I specialise in health systems, implementation science, climate and health, and community-engaged research. I hold a BA (Kenyatta University), MA and PhD (American University, Washington DC) and an MSW in Mental Health (University of Sheffield, UK). My research follows health across the life course, from maternal and newborn health to adolescence and ageing, spanning mental health, infectious diseases, migration and refugee health, water and sanitation, and health systems strengthening across sub-Saharan Africa and the UK.
Climate extremes and health have run through my work for two decades. In the UK, I led the KWILLT study on how older people experienced cold homes and fuel poverty in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. My later work in sub-Saharan Africa moved to the opposite climatic extreme, examining how heat affects pregnant women, newborns, older people, health workers and health systems.
Research leadership
At EHAG I am Kenya Principal Investigator for the HEARTH project and Co-Principal Investigator of ESARRCH, strengthening climate and health research capacity across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Through NextGen for Earth I am Kenya Principal Investigator for the SENIORS Consortium, on climate, seasonality, ageing and health, and Principal Investigator for ACACIA, on adolescent climate awareness, coping, impacts and adaptive action.
Previously I was Kenya Principal Investigator for CHAMNHA consortium and Social Science Lead for the AQCESS project across Kenya, Mali, Mozambique and Pakistan. I have been Principal or Co-Investigator on more than 24 studies in sub-Saharan Africa and the UK, covering COVID-19, mortality audits, dementia, respectful maternity care and child protection, with the NHS/UK, University of Leeds, Bradford Institute For Health (BIHR/UK), Rotherham Council, Sheffield Hallam University, Aga Khan University and KEMRI-Wellcome Trust.