Stella Muthuri, PhD

The Baobab Research Programme Consoritum is bringing rigorous Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) surveys into humanitarian (refugee) settings for the FIRST TIME!! Historically, refugee populations have been excluded from robust and large-scale surveys due to various barriers that limit data collection in refugee settings. The Population Council leads a UK Government-funded Baobab consortium, and will generate new evidence on the magnitude, consequences, risks, and protective factors of/for SRHR issues including violence against children and adolescents (VACS), unsafe abortion, and unintended pregnancy, drawing on existing robust, well-regarded, and well-known global tools. Baobab aims to work with partner research organisations and implementing partners to reduce inequities in SRHR in humanitarian settings by both generating robust evidence, while also designing and testing context appropriate SRHR interventions to determine what works to effectively respond to SRHR needs in refugee situations. Separately, I am also supporting yet another UK Government-funded programme, a Population Council-led FGM data hub that’s providing technical guidance to consortium partners to ensure that evidence informs the design, implementation, adaptation, and scaling of effective strategies to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

As a Trustee, I support the Trust in meeting its mandate. The Turing Trust was established by Alan Turing's family to enable IT supported learning by refurbishing IT equipment, installing a range of educational software, and equipping schools and classrooms globally. The Trust provides skills development while reducing waste and contributing to an environmentally friendly society. To date, the Trust has helped over 252,000 students to start learning digital skills and saved over 6,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Scholar of the CHH-Lancet Commission on health in humanitarian settings.

Bringing my experience working in East Africa and wider, and with state departments and non-governmental organisations, to lift the voice of research and practice from the field for a more equitable knowledge base through this journal.

Leading a team that provides demand-responsive research and evidence, and technical expertise to country offices to drive efficient delivery and support evidence informed decision making at post; and that develops and amplifies UK-Africa science, technology and innovation (ST&I) partnerships including through the deployment of catalytic and scale-up funding for development impact and diplomatic influence.

I currently lead a team responsible for providing guidance to FCDO's country offices in East Africa on generating and using context-specific research and evidence to strengthen programming in order to improve the lives of the poor. Our broad areas of focus include: strengthening global peace, security and governance; strengthening resilience and response to crises; promoting global prosperity; and, tackling extreme poverty and helping the world’s most vulnerable.

Providing technical guidance on putting robust evidence and best practice at the heart of programming; building a robust, context-specific evidence-base to improve the lives of the poor; and, building capacity for the generation and use of research for evidence-informed decision making in East Africa. Broad areas of focus include: strengthening global peace, security and governance; strengthening resilience and response to crises; promoting global prosperity; and, tackling extreme poverty and helping the world’s most vulnerable.

Descriptions of Key Programmes Managed: [1] Principle Investigator - Dietary transitions in African cities, a programme aiming to explore the role that people’s social networks, economic factors, and the physical environment play in driving food consumption, and how we may leverage evidence for interventions and policy to prevent diet-related non-communicable diseases in Kenya and Ghana. [2] Programme Manager - GrOW, aiming to investigate the nature and magnitude of barriers to women’s economic empowerment and to closing gender gaps in earnings and productivity through improved childcare provision for women living in informal settlements in Kenya. [3] Programme Manager - Violence Against Women and Girls, aiming to understand what works to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in conflict and humanitarian emergencies through evaluation of an individual comprehensive case management model of care provided in the Dadaab refugee complex.

Description: The International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and Environment (ISCOLE) was a large multi-national study seeking to investigate the influence of behavioural factors such as diet and activity levels, and physical, social, and policy environments on obesity and weight gain in children from 12 countries in five major regions of the world. I specifically led the programme in Kenya and contributed to the programme in Canada.

Description: I supported timely development of Respiratory Clinical Practice Guidelines (via systematic review methodology), their dissemination, and implementation (knowledge translation). Key topical areas included the management of Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH), Home Mechanical Ventilation, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Pulmonary Function Standards, Pulmonary Vascular Disease, Sleep Disordered Breathing, and Tuberculosis and Infectious Disease.

Descriptions of Key Programmes Managed: [1] The Champlain Community Heart Health Study (CCHHS) was a community-based survey designed to collect key information relevant to the heart health of the residents of the Champlain District, hence providing valuable information to help evaluate the extent of health problems associated with major health concerns such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity in the communities of the Champlain District. I managed delivery of the programme in the Champlain District (Ottawa and neighbouring areas) in contribution to a larger international study called the PURE project. [2] The 24 Hour Urinary Sodium Excretion Survey (24USE) - This project aimed to collect objective information related to dietary sodium consumption to provide an overview of sodium intake within the Champlain District through means of a 24-hr urine collection, an established measure indicative of dietary sodium consumption. Given its link to hypertension and CVD, the collection of information on dietary sodium consumption at the health district level was essential for the development and implementation of appropriate interventions, programs, and policies.

[1] Teaching laboratory based courses including Organic, Biophysical, and Analytical Chemistry [2] Research Techniques: Immunohistochemistry; Florescence and Confocal Microscopy; Genotyping; RNA Extraction and RT-PCR; Protein Extraction and Western Blotting; Langmuir Troughs; Ellipsometry; Brewster Angle and Atomic Force Microscopy; and Transgenic Rodent Care, Surgery (Synergist Ablation), and Drug Treatment.