Our Team

We are a growing team of professionals committed to the vision and ideals of AKU and passionate about our role in translating IHD’s mission into reality. Together we are making a meaningful investment in human development and laying foundations for the prosperity of tomorrow’s generation starting today. Our team brings on board expertise from development, academia, research, policy and administration making every day of our experiences exciting and rewarding.

Prof Amina Abubakar

Director, Institute for Human Development

Prof Amina Abubakar
Director, Institute for Human Development

Amina Abubakar is a full Professor and Director for the Institute for Human Development, Aga Khan University (AKU). She is a Senior Research Scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute/Wellcome Trust Research Programme and Visiting Academic at the University of Oxford, Department of Psychiatry.

She is a trained Developmental Psychologist with more than 18 years’ research experience working in rural settings in Kenya within multidisciplinary teams. She is interested in both acquired and congenital brain disorders. Specifically, her research interests lie in a) quantifying the neurocognitive burden of early childhood diseases; b) developing culturally appropriate psychological measures for use in SSA and; c) identifying culturally appropriate intervention strategies for at-risk children in SSA. She has more than 18 years experience developing assessment tools and describing the neurocognitive and mental health outcomes for children exposed to multiple risk factors. The neurodevelopmental tools and measures that she has contributed to developing have been used in more than 25 low- and middle-income countries. Her expertise in tool development is widely acknowledge and she has taught seminars, workshops and summers schools on cross-cultural test adaptation and validation in several countries including Kenya, South Africa, Spain, and Indonesia.

She has (co)-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. She has been humbled to receive awards from various organization including the American Psychological Society and the Royal Society of UK in recognition for her work in Africa.

In 2016, she was awarded the highly prestigious MRC/DfiD African Research Leader Fellowship, to set up a programme of work on the impact of perinatal HIV infection on adolescent health and well-being. In 2016, she was awarded the Royal Society Pfizer Award in recognition of her pioneering psychological research in East Africa, and for the impact her work has had in the field of neurodevelopmental assessment. She has served on technical working groups, forums and consulted for various international organizations including the World Health Organization, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (USA), Firelight Foundation, Save the Children, Autism Speaks and Open Society. She has been actively involved in capacity building for African scientists and has supervised PhD students from Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
Margaret Kabue

Institute Manager, Institute for Human Development

Margaret Kabue
Institute Manager, Institute for Human Development

Margaret Kabue is the Institute Manager at IHD. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology Linguistics, a Master of Arts in Project Planning and Management from the University of Nairobi. She previously worked as a Project Manager for Childhood Development in Marginalized Communities (CDMC) project at IHD. She has also worked with ActionAid, KANCO and Plan International in Programme management, capacity development and advocacy. Her current role involves assisting the Director IHD execute research and capacity building mandate for the institute. Her interests are in programme management, research, and advocacy in the area of Child and Women rights.
Dr Anil Khamis

Research Faculty & Lead Researcher

Dr Anil Khamis
Research Faculty & Lead Researcher

Anil Khamis, PhD holds cross-entity appointments in education, global health, and human development at the Aga Khan University where he has been since 2018. He also holds a faculty position with University College London Institute of Education where he has been since 2001.

He specialises in the education and international development with reference to the UN Sustainable Development Goals having worked in over 30 countries. His expertise includes marginalised and disenfranchised communities in hard to reach and conflict regions of the world.
Dr Amin S. Hassan

Research Scientist

Dr Amin S. Hassan
Research Scientist

Dr Hassan holds the position of research scientist at the institute. He has a PhD from the University of Amsterdam and a Master degree in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He has over 18 years research experience, which includes setting up clinic and field cohorts in rural Kenya. He has an interest in applying multi-disciplinary approaches towards understanding drivers of infection and disease processes at a molecular and population level. He has experience in contributing knowledge that will inform the design and implementation of interventions towards tackling known and emerging public health challenges. He is particularly keen in promoting capacity building for biomedical research and public health expertise that will sustain the momentum in the fight against known and emerging public health priorities.
Joyce Marangu

ECD Hub Manager

Joyce Marangu
ECD Hub Manager

Ms Marangu is the Manager for the ECD Workforce Hub hosted by the Institute for Human Development. She was previously a Project Coordinator for the Scaling Up Playful Parenting Project co-funded by UNICEF/LEGO Foundation and the Aga Khan Foundation USA, and has held other research positions in the Institute. Her research interests include: early childhood development, child health and nutrition, child poverty and social protection. Joyce holds a B.A in Social Work from the University of Nairobi, M.A in Development Studies from Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, and an M.A in Development Studies from the University of the Western Cape. She is currently pursuing a doctorate at Stellenbosch University. She is also an Africa Early Childhood Development Network Fellow.
Daniel Rabok

Government Liaison Manager

Daniel Rabok
Government Liaison Manager

Mr. Rabok is a government liaison manager at the institute. He holds a master’s degree in Early Childhood Studies and a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Kenyatta University, as well as a Diploma in Project Management from the Kenya Institute of Management. He has experience in Early Childhood Development (ECD) research, policy analysis, community engagement and workforce development. His interest is in research and management of ECD programs with a special focus on identifying and advocating for an improved policy environment to guide delivery of quality and inclusive ECD services to children during their earliest years.
Esther Chongwo

PhD fellow, Institute for Human Development

Esther Chongwo
PhD fellow, Institute for Human Development

Ms Chongwo is a PhD fellow at the institute. She has a background training in Nursing and Public Health from Kenyatta University, a postgraduate diploma in Health Research Methods from Pwani University, and a master’s degree in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is currently pursuing her doctorate studies at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands), where she seeks to understand the risks and resilience in children from arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya and Tanzania. Previously, she worked on a project aimed at developing measures of adolescent connectedness and character development in Kenya. Her interests are in early childhood development, mental health, and positive youth development.
Beatrice Karimi

Project Assistant

Beatrice Karimi
Project Assistant

Ms. Karimi is a project assistant at the institute. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Development Studies at the University of Nairobi and holds a bachelor’s degree in Development Studies with IT from Maseno University. Her interest lies in understanding the contribution of early child development initiatives to economic growth and development.
Walter Kisangi

Research Associate

Walter Kisangi
Research Associate

Mr. Kisangi is a research associate at the institute. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Development Studies at Mt. Kenya University. He holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Clinical Medicine and Surgery in Paediatrics and a diploma in Clinical Medicine and Surgery from Kenya Medical Training College. He has experience in paediatric research, medical scheme management, moderation of support groups, and staff health, wellness and safety. He is an advocate for safe blood donation, access to affordable and sustainable health services, evidence-based care, judicious antibiotics use and mental wellness among healthcare workers.
Ramadhan Denge

Research Field Enumerator

Ramadhan Denge
Research Field Enumerator

Mr Denge is a research field enumerator at the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Human Development. He supports the institute’s research activities in Kenya’s Isiolo county; particularly in the field of Early Childhood Development. He has also worked with World Vision Kenya on various community development projects that have honed his skills in data management and field research. His professional interest lies in data management. He is particularly excited by the challenges of organising and analysing vast amounts of data. With the experience he has gained working with Aga Khan University on Early Childhood Development (ECD) research, he has seen firsthand, the importance of accurate data collection and analysis in making informed decisions. His skills in data management directly contribute to the success of ECD research projects, ensuring that data-driven strategies are effectively implemented for impactful outcomes.
Maureen Ooko

Communications Coordinator

Maureen Ooko
Communications Coordinator

Ms. Ooko is the communications coordinator at the institute. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Communication Studies at the University of Nairobi. She has worked in various multinational organisations where she has horned her communications skills. Her interests are in public relations and development communication.
Esther Peter

Administrative Coordinator

Esther Peter
Administrative Coordinator

Esther Peter is the Administrative & Communications Officer at the Institute for Human Development.

She has previously held positions at Syngenta AG as a Corporate Affairs Assistant‐ Africa and Middle East Region, and Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission at the Public Relations office. Esther has a Master’s Degree in Development Communication and a BA in Public Relations from Daystar University, and has interests in the areas of Development Communication.

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Prof Amina Abubakar

Margaret Kabue

Dr Anil Khamis

Dr Amin S. Hassan

Joyce Marangu

Daniel Rabok

Esther Chongwo

Beatrice Karimi

Walter Kisangi

Ramadhan Denge

Maureen Ooko

Esther Peter