Iana Makokha Amke
Research scientist - KEMRI
Favourite Subjects
German
Chemistry
Biology
Top Technical Skills
Microbiology
Molecular biology
Biochemistry
Favourite Hobbies
Reading
Gaming
Watching films
Top Soft Skills
Leadership
Responsibility
Listening skills
Bio
I graduated in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from JKUAT. During and after my studies, I volunteered in hospital and research laboratories to gain experience working in different environments. This allowed me to make a decision to specialise in medical microbiology which is a challenging but rewarding field. My work mostly involves studies on antimicrobial resistance, which is a public health menace and I have had the chance of working as a laboratory team leader, overseeing all lab occurrences.
I was part of the Commonwealth Women's Mentorship program. After the program, under the guidance of my mentor, I started a Women in Health Sciences online group. I also took part in a Oxford Nanopore sequencing training program whereby I got to interact and network with researchers in the field of Bioinformatics, which is a field I am also interested in. Through the networks I created, I was able to pursue various opportunities in that field and I am currently a participant in an Introduction to Bioinformatics course offered by H3ABioNet.
As a Mentor my aim is...
To inspire the next generation of researchers.
To provide my mentees with guidance while coming up with their short and long term career goals.
To prepare my mentees for a career in STEM and equip them with skills to succeed based on my experience so far.
Fun fact
I am obsessed with anything to do with gaming and technology. I learnt how to gain developer permissions on my phone to create storage space for my games especially Mortal Kombat which is about 2gb!
My advice to young adults...
Be yourself, be patient, be open to constructive criticism (at least from people you look up to) and try to get out of your comfort zone once in a while.
To connect with me click below