Dr Isaac Ngere 

IAS Fellow at Collingwood College, January - March 2026

Contact Details

• Home Institution email:  isaac.ngere@wsu.edu 
• Durham email: TBC
• Durham Tel: TBC

Dr Isaac Ngere is a physician-epidemiologist with specialized training in infectious diseases and epidemiology. With over 14 years of experience in the healthcare systems of Kenya and the East, Central, and Southern Africa (ECSA) region, Dr Ngere has made significant contributions to research, surveillance, and public health responses for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases at the human-animal-environment interface. His research focuses on understanding the transmission dynamics and control of zoonotic diseases, particularly at the human-livestock interface, with the aim of developing sustainable public health strategies for vulnerable communities in ECSA.

Dr Ngere's intellectual contributions span a wide range of emerging infectious diseases, including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Rift Valley Fever, and anthrax. His research has uncovered critical insights into the epidemiology and genomic evolution of MERS-CoV, particularly in Africa’s Clade C strain, leading to novel areas of investigation. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles in the past five years, highlighting his work on zoonotic disease transmission and public health interventions. He is emerging as a leading voice for public health and emerging diseases, granting several major interviews on global preparedness for pandemic of emerging infectious disease to international media including NPR radio (US), Bloomberg News (US), and ZDF news (Germany).

Dr Ngere co-leads three US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded health surveillance and response projects in Kenya and serves as the Washington State University’s (WSU’s) technical lead in a long-term partnership with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) on population-based integrated disease surveillance, studying a cohort of over half a million people in a rural, urban and arid demographic surveillance platform in Kenya. Additionally, Dr Ngere is conducting groundbreaking research on the sustainability of different management models for hygiene and sanitation facilities in Kenya and the East Africa regions, an offshoot of his previous 4 years of COVID-19 pandemic mitigation work in Kenya.

Internationally recognized for his work, Dr Ngere has been invited to speak at key forums hosted by the World Health Organization, the US CDC, and the Food and Agriculture Organization. He also in the editorial boards and serves as a reviewer for several high-impact scientific journals. He serves on ethics boards and expert committees, including the national level task forces and technical working groups on disease surveillance and response. His leadership in public health research has earned him significant recognition, including faculty appointments and management of multiple high-value grants. Dr Ngere continues to shape global health policy through his work and contributions to the field of infectious disease epidemiology.

During his IAS fellowship, Dr Ngere will collaborate with Professors Hannah Brown and Justin Willis and Dr Emily Webster from Durham University’s departments of Anthropology, History and Philosophy (respectively), to explore how changing livestock economies in East and Southern Africa interface with public health concerns, including around zoonotic disease outbreaks, One Health, and disease surveillance.

Dr Ngere holds a degree in Medicine and Surgery (University of Nairobi, Kenya), a MSc in field epidemiology (Moi University, Kenya) and a PhD in Tropical and Infectious Diseases (University of Nairobi, Kenya). He has dual faculty appointments at Washington State University’s Paul G. Allen School for Global Health in the U.S. and the Washington State University Global Health Program in East Africa, where he is based.

Events

TBC