Samuel Angwenyi, a research assistant attached to the Cornell University component of the BecA-ILRI Hub Capacity and Action for Aflatoxin Reduction in Eastern Africa (CAAREA) project has been awarded a scholarship by The South African Centre for Infectious Diseases Surveillance (SACIDS).

Samuel Angwenyi works in the mycotoxin analysis laboratory at the BecA-ILRI Hub in Nairobi

For the past year, Angwenyi has been conducting analysis on samples collected from field trials to help establish management practices and varieties that could be used to address the issue of aflatoxin contamination in maize.

He left early last week to pursue an MSc in One Health Molecular Biology in Tanzania. The course, whose curriculum has been developed in collaboration with the UK’s London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Royal Veterinary College in London is run by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) Tanzania, in close collaboration with the Schools of Medicine and Public Health of Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS).

Empowering African scientists to solve Africa’s agricultural challenges is central to the Hub’s activities and we provide opportunities for early career African scientists from national agricultural research institutions and universities in the region to work with more experienced mentors for research experience.

Congratulations Samuel Angwenyi, and we look forward to your contributions towards improving food and nutritional security in Africa.