ABOUT Ruguru Karanja (Alice)

Ruguru Karanja (Alice) is an Associate Research Scientist in the Nutrition and Food Systems (NFS) Unit with expertise in food systems, sustainability, and community engagement. Her research explores the interlinkages between climate change, food systems, and health, focusing on promoting the adoption of social innovations and nature-based climate solutions. These include clean cooking technologies, agroecology, agroforestry, and the use of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) and wild foods among smallholder farmers.

Alice is the Project Manager for the “Visibilize4ClimateAction in Eastern African Drylands” project, which aims to make visible the impacts of climate change on the health (nutrition and mental health) of vulnerable populations in drylands through research, public engagement, and policy advocacy. She also contributes to the Zero Hunger Initiative and the Public Engagement Infrastructure Strengthening (PEIS) project, which promotes meaningful community participation in research and policy processes through participatory approaches.

Alice holds a PhD in Sustainability Science from the University of Tokyo. Prior to APHRC, she was an Associate Scientist at CIFOR-ICRAF, where she focused on promoting healthier diets in developing countries by linking food production systems to diets, food choice behavior, and food environments across rural-urban landscapes.