Prof Adelaide Lusambili

“After noticing a significant gap in research capacity and policy engagement among youth in Africa, we established this initiative to bridge the divide. Policies on the continent are often not youth-driven or youth-friendly, and training opportunities and mentorship remain scarce even after graduation”.

With over 20 years of experience as a researcher, educator, and mentor across multiple Sub-Saharan African countries and the UK, I am committed to nurturing the next generation of leaders in health and climate science. I have served as a Principal Investigator or a Co-Investigator on more than 20 research projects and have mentored numerous researchers and interns, many of whom now lead impactful work in their communities. I have authored over 65 peer-reviewed publications, including 31 as first author, with 18 focused on climate change and health. I currently lead a Medical Research Foundation (MRF) study that develops mathematical models to estimate indoor temperatures from weather data and identifies building structures most conducive to maternal and neonatal health. I also serve as Co-Investigator in an IDRC-funded consortium advancing research on climate and health in Sub-Saharan Africa, and as aPI for the Seniors Consortium in Kenya—a collaborative initiative with medical college Wisconsin. Additionally, I am working with communities to integrate early weather warning systems with indigenous knowledge in rural Kilifi communities. My academic background includes a PhD in Medical Anthropology and an MA in Social Gender and International Development from the American University in Washington, D.C.; an MSW in Mental Health from the University of Sheffield (UK); a BA from Kenyatta University (Kenya); a diploma in Human Resources and Accounting; and several professional certifications in project management, bio-ethics; safeguarding in children (CIN/CP) among others. Read my work here: ORCID