Page 29 - Science in Africa

Professor Sheila Okoth

rofessor Sheila Okoth has 22
years’ experience as a
university lecturer, researcher
and consultant.
She has trained 21
PMSc and three PhD
graduates, and is currently
supervising four MSc and nine
PhD students. Professor
Okoth is the head of the
mycology section of the
University of Nairobi, charged
with coordinating teaching and
research in the section.
At national level, she is a
member of the Biosafety Appeals
Board. Professor Okoth is serving as a
member of the National Gender Advisory
Board and Biotechnology Task Force
international consultancies in the areas of Putting the
Committee for the Kenya National Academy
of Sciences.
She has also offered national and
biosafety, biotechnology, soil fertility
management, capacity building, laboratory
University of Nairobi, such as the Research fun in fungi
tests and the national education system
review. Professor Okoth serves in various
board and committee positions at the

and Extension Policy Committee, African
Women’s Studies Centre and College
Academic Board. She is the coordinator of mycotoxin analysis and molecular coordinated several international and
the University of Nairobi-Kenya Agricultural techniques at Stellenbosch University in regional research grants such as the
and Livestock Research Organisation South Africa, the University of Sustainable Management of Below Ground
collaboration and the University of Nairobi- Hertfordshire in the UK, the Institute of Biodiversity Project funded by UNEP-GEF.
Murdoch University collaboration. Sciences of Food Production in Italy, and This is a global project involving seven
She has more than 51 publications in the International Agricultural Centre in the developing countries: Brazil, Ivory Coast,
refereed journals, published two books and Netherlands. Indonesia, India, Kenya, Mexico and Uganda,
edited two volumes of the International Professor Okoth has been recognised of which she was the national coordinator
Journal of Tropical and Subtropical internationally and nationally for her of the Kenyan chapter.
Agroecosystems. contributions to science and appointed In 1998, she was selected as one of the
Professor Okoth holds PhD and MSc fellow of the prestigious Royal Society of first 86 fellows of the African Women in
degrees in mycology from the University of Biology in the UK and fellow of the Kenya Agricultural Research and Development
Nairobi and a bachelor of education National Academy of Science. In May 2015, Program of the CGIAR Gender and
(science) from Kenyatta University. She has she was elected as the first vice-president Diversity funded by the Bill & Melinda
obtained specialist laboratory training in of the African Society of Mycotoxicology. Gates Foundation and the US Agency for
plant biotechnology and biosafety, Professor Okoth has attracted and International Development.
Doctor Yogesh Parmessur

Making life sweeter for us all

Doctor Yogesh Parmessur works in the Consortium for Sugarcane laboratory placement at Rothamsted
biotechnology department of the Mauritius Biotechnology of the James Irvine Research Institute, Harpenden in
Sugarcane Industry Research Institute. Memorial Travel Grant for the the UK.
His areas of specialisation include molecular XIX International Plant and He is a member of the
breeding, plant pathology, bioinformatics and Animal Genome Conference, San Mauritius National Biosafety
plant tissue culture. Diego in the US. Committee; a member of the
Awards and internships: . 2004: Awarded the Collin Law expert panel editorial team of the
. 2012: Visiting scientist at the University of Prize for best student (MSc Plant food and nutrition security and
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US, Breeding and Biotechnology, agriculture policy booklet and a
working on the application of next-generation University of East Anglia, UK). member of the molecular biology
sequencing to sugarcane genotyping. . 2000: Awardee of the Commonwealth section committee of the International
. 2011: First awardee from the International Science Scholarship for a three-month Society of Sugarcane Technologists.
SCIENCE IN AFRICA 29