Dr Gaone Retshabile
DS-I Africa Steering Committee Chair
DSpace: Utilizing Data Science to Predict and Improve Health Outcomes in Pediatric HIV
Dr. Gaone Retshabile is a lecturer at the University of Botswana. He teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in the microbiology and molecular biology cognate areas of the Biological Sciences department. His research interests are in the genomics of infectious and non-communicable diseases. He is passionate about capacity building.
Prof Amina Abubakar
DS-I Africa Steering Committee Chair
UtiliZing health Information for Meaningful impact in East Africa through Data Science
Prof Amina Abubakar is a Kenyan research psychologist with over 20 years of research experience. She is a Professor and the Director of the Institute for Human Development, Aga Khan University. Her interests are in both acquired and congenital brain disorders, with some of her most significant contributions including the development of open-access assessment tools and the description of the neurocognitive and mental health outcomes associated with various health conditions. She is also passionate about women's empowerment and has received a grant to train and empower more women scientists in neuroscience and brain health research.
Prof Edwine Barasa
Aga Khan University
Additionally, heads the Programme’s Health Economics Research Unit (HERU) and a visiting Professor of Health Economics at the University of Oxford. His research interests include health financing; equity and efficiency analysis in healthcare; economic evaluation of healthcare interventions; measuring health systems' performance; and health system governance. Edwine has several years of experience of practice, advisory, and conducting health economics and financing research in Kenya and in the broader Sub-Saharan African region.
Ms Rosemary Chepkoech
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics
Ms. Rosemary Chepkoech is a seasoned statistician with 30 years of experience in statistical production and management. As Director of Population and Social Statistics at the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, she oversees the compilation and analysis of complex national datasets that inform policy and development planning in Kenya.
Rosemary holds a Master of Economics degree from the University of Nairobi and is currently pursuing a PhD in Economics at Kenyatta University. She is an accredited statistician with the Statistical Society of Kenya and a certified Quality Management System (QMS) Internal Auditor, championing ISO 9001:2015 implementation within the Bureau.
Her expertise spans statistical survey design, research methodology, and analytical report writing, with particular focus on population, social, and macroeconomic indicators. She has contributed to landmark national statistical programmes including the Kenya Population and Housing Censuses, Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys, Kenya Integrated Household Budget Surveys, and Kenya’s first National School Census.
At the regional level, Rosemary provided critical technical support for the development of the East African Monetary Union Protocol and the East African Community Statistical Database. She has also shaped national policy through her service on the Presidential Committee reviewing Kenya’s new university funding model. She is a dynamic leader with a proven track record in strategic thinking and team coordination in multi-skilled, multicultural environments while delivering data-driven insights that support evidence-based decision-making.
Dr. Ahmed Adam
Mombasa County Department of Health
Dr. Ahmed Adam currently serves as the Head of the Research and Partner Relations Unit at the Mombasa County Department of Health. He is a trained vaccinologist, bioethicist, and pharmacist. He holds a master’s degree in Vaccinology and Drug Development from the University of Siena and a second Master’s in One Health and Emergency Response Research Ethics from the University of Nairobi, in collaboration with Ohio State University.
In his current role, Dr. Adam oversees and approves ongoing research activities within the county and plays a key role in building research capacity by training health workers in research methodology. He has successfully organized the Mombasa Health Research Conference for three consecutive years. As Chair of the Mombasa Health Research Committee, he ensures that all research conducted in the region upholds the highest ethical standards. Dr. Adam is a passionate about scientific writing through impactful publications, mentorship, and collaborative research initiatives.
Dr Laura Povlich
NIH/FIC DS-I Africa Program Director
National Institutes of Health
Laura Povlich is a Program Director in the Division of International Training and Research at the Fogarty International Center, part of the National Institutes of Health, where she was previously an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellow. Dr. Povlich has administered a portfolio of grants that covers a range of research, research training, and research education projects related to global health technology, with a significant focus on information and communication technology. She currently is a coordinator for a new NIH Common Fund program - Harnessing Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa). Prior to working at Fogarty, Dr. Povlich was the 2011-2012 Materials Research Society/Optical Society Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow in the Office of Congressman Sander Levin. Dr. Povlich earned a B.S.E. in Materials Science and Engineering and a Ph.D. in Macromolecular Science and Engineering, both from the University of Michigan. Her research focused on the synthesis of functionalized conjugated polymers for biological sensor applications and for neural probe and prosthetic device electrode coatings.
