PROF. PHILLIP NJERU NYAGA (RETIRED)

Prof. Philip Njeru Nyaga holds the BVM (UON), MPVM, PhD (University of California, Davis). He retired at the rank of Professor of Veterinary Virology, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He also served as Chairman of Department of Veterinary Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology (1985-991), Director, Board of Postgraduate Studies (1992-2001) and a long serving member of the Senate. He undertook research projects and consultancies for a number of organizations including KENCHIC (K) Ltd, MUGUKU POULTRY FARM, WELCOME (K) Ltd, CIBA-GEIGY, World Bank/Ministry of Livestock Development, Government of Kenya/British Government, KARI/USAID, National Museums of Kenya/ODA, KARI/ODA, KEMRI/JICA, WELCOME TRUST/KEMRI, FAO,  EAC, MAKERERE UNIVERSITY, among others. He supervised 18 PhD and 37 Masters Students’ to completion. He published 66 peer-reviewed scientific publications and 31 conference papers. He was a DAAD, Fulbright, and Matsumai International Fellowship (MIF) scholar. He was an external examiner and professorial reviewer for Universities in and outside Kenya, among them Makerere University, University of Ghana where he also taught Virology, Avian Medicine and Avian Clinical Diagnostics for a year. He established and was the pioneer teacher of the avian medicine course and the poultry diagnostic clinic at the department. During the Avian influenza pandemic of 2006/7 he gave a public lecture at Taifa Hall and was subsequently involved in the training of Anglophone and Francophone Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza laboratory personnel for the African continent. Currently, he is a member of the global Research Advisory Committee for the Genomics Innovation Lab Project of the University of California, Davis, working on developing indigenous poultry resistant to Newcastle disease virus and heat funded on a renewed grant (2018-2023) by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with Sokoine University of Agriculture and University of Ghana scientists as collaborators. Professor Nyaga has also been involved in veterinary vaccines production oversight as a member of the Board of the Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute (KEVEVAPI) and has, together with his graduate students developed vaccines for Camel pox, Fowl typhoid and Infectious Bursal Disease (Gumboro).