Borlaug LEAP fellow Dr. Francis M. Ngure received his Ph.D. in Nutrition from Cornell University in August 2012. His dissertation research provides an understanding of the role of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and food safety in predicting stunting in under 5-year old children. Through three successful collaborations that took him back to Kenya, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, his research experience has provided further interdisciplinary understanding of under-nutrition in children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Ngure was mentored by Dr. Rebecca Stoltzfus, Professor and Director of International Nutrition and Global Health Programs, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University.

His Borlaug LEAP Fellowship (2011-2012) provided a great opportunity to study the contextual WASH and nutritional related causes of childhood stunting in Ethiopia, in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), East and Southern Africa Regional Office in Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia. At IFPRI, he was mentored by Dr. Purnima Menon. He also worked with Dr. Disha Ali and Dr. Rahul Rawat. Dr. Ngure’s is currently working as a post-doctoral associate with Dr. Stoltzfus.

Dr. Ngure's research interests have taken an inter-sectorial approach to understanding causes of child under-nutrition, especially the role of mycotoxins co-exposure, WASH, Food and Nutritional Insecurity. After his post-doctoral research, he plans to return to his native Kenya and continue with nutrition research, teaching and mentorship. His vision is to be a leader in inter-sectoral research to provide sustainable nutrition interventions for a healthy and food secure Kenyan population, and low-income countries at large.  Dr. Ngure in currently working at the ILRI/BecA Hub Nairobi, Kenya as a researcher.