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Fathiya Khamis

Senior Scientist, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
Dr Fathiya Mbarak Khamis is a senior scientist in ICIPE’s Plant Health Theme.

She holds BSc and MSc degrees in biochemistry from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and a PhD in molecular biology from Kenyatta University. She has worked in Kenyatta University transitioning from a graduate assistant to a tutorial fellow and later a lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology.

Fathiya is currently working on native and invasive insect pests of fruits and vegetables that are of economic importance for food security in Africa and beyond. She applies molecular techniques to assess the safety of insects as a sustainable source of nutritious food for humans and feed for livestock.

She has taken a key role in utilising her expertise to develop and promote effective and ecologically sustainable integrated pest management systems, and to assess microbial safety of edible insects and their rearing substrates, which is critical for mainstreaming the insects’ alternative sources of protein for food and feed in the continent.

She serves as a member of ICIPE’s institutional biosafety committee and Institutional Board of Postgraduate Studies, a member of the Biochemical Society of Kenya and on the editorial board of Frontiers in Insect Physiology and is a reviewer for several high impact peer reviewed journals.

Fathiya has authored and co-authored more than 100 articles in international peer-reviewed journals and book chapters with a Google Scholar citation of 1984, an h-index of 23 and i10 index 50. She is active in building research capacity in Africa through mentoring and supervising students, young scientists, and technical staff.

In recognition of her contribution to research and development in Africa, Dr Khamis was awarded the 2019 TWAS-Abdool Karim Prize in biological sciences.

Economy

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Oil Prices Steady as U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Ease Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears

Oil prices ended the week largely unchanged as investors weighed improving prospects for a lasting U.S.-Iran peace agreement against rising crude supply from the Middle East. Brent crude futures settled up 14 cents, or...

Asian Currencies Rise as Dollar Weakens; Yen Holds Steady Amid Japan Intervention Watch

Most Asian currencies edged higher on Friday after the U.S. dollar retreated from a 13-month high following weaker-than-expected U.S. nonfarm payrolls data, raising fresh questions about the Federal Reserves interest rate...

Asian Stocks Rebound as Tech Shares Rally on Fed Rate Cut Hopes and Easing Iran Tensions

Asian stock markets rebounded sharply on Friday as investors returned to technology shares following a week of heavy selling, while easing geopolitical tensions and growing expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate...

Oil Prices Slip as Oversupply Concerns and U.S.-Iran Talks Shape Market Outlook

Oil prices edged lower on Friday as improving global crude supplies and expectations of near-term oversupply continued to pressure the market, while traders reduced bearish positions ahead of the U.S. holiday weekend....

Politics

UN Warns of Looming Human Rights Catastrophe in Sudan’s Al-Obeid

The United Nations has warned that a new human rights catastrophe is unfolding in Sudan as fighting intensifies around the besieged city of al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state. U.N. High Commissioner for Human...

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Russia Claims Capture of Kostiantynivka as Putin Pushes Donetsk Offensive

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Science

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Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

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The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

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OpenAI Proposes 5% U.S. Government Stake Amid AI Policy Talks

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