Ruth Monyenye Nyangacha a medical parasitologist/ entomologist with expertise in infectious diseases research, is a senior research scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). She has authored several publications in peer reviewed journals on infectious diseases. Her main focus has been studies on new antimalarial agents and more recently to support community based and public health tungiasis control measures.

Her PhD thesis was titled “Prevalence of Tungiasis and Associated Bacterial Pathogens from Lesions of Patients in Western Kenya.” The thesis aimed to provide epidemiological and clinical data on Tungiasis that would support public health control measures. The research was funded by the Kenya National Research Fund (NRF) for postgraduate research, the KEMRI Internal Research Grant (KEMRI/IRG/170/6) and also by the Government of Kenya through the Natural Products Research and Drug Development Program, funding no. 200/135 to Dr. Festus Tolo and Dr. Peter Mwitari. Her supervisors were Dr. David Odongo, Prof. Florence Oyieke and Dr. Christine Bii.

Through the research done, Ruth was awarded in 2017 by KEMRI for an outstanding contribution to science and leadership. The research also realized two publications in the PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases journal and was disseminated in 5 scientific conferences. In 2020, she was invited as one of the experts in tungiasis by the World Health Organization (WHO), to assist in developing a conceptual framework for the control of the disease.

Ruth holds a PhD. in Applied Parasitology from the University of Nairobi and an Msc. in Medical Parasitology and Entomology from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology