Dr. Florence Oyiera Habwe is a community nutrition specialist with a strong research background and over 16 years of experience in nutrition assessment, training, and intervention among vulnerable populations. Her areas of interest include post-harvest handling, recipe formulation, and nutritional value enhancement to support good health and development.
She holds a PhD and MSc in Community Nutrition and Development from Maseno University, as well as a B.Ed. degree in Home Science and Technology from Moi University. With a strong commitment to reducing hunger and malnutrition among vulnerable groups, Dr. Habwe has worked extensively on formulating and modifying African indigenous vegetable recipes to improve their nutritional value.
Dr. Habwe is finalizing her post-doctoral fellowship under the Sustainable Development for Health (SD4H) project at Maseno University, in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), the University of California, and the Global Health Institute. In her post-doctoral research, she conducted a food intervention study among HIV sero-positive adults to improve their nutritional status—particularly hemoglobin, BMI, and micronutrient (iron, zinc, and selenium) levels—using innovative nutritious food products formulated from underutilized indigenous food crops. The intervention findings indicate a significant positive effect on hemoglobin and micronutrient (iron and selenium) levels among previously micronutrient-malnourished HIV patients.
Florence completed a two-year Post-Bachelors Fellowship under the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) CGIAR Gender and Diversity Programme, where she undertook courses in women's leadership and management, as well as scientific writing and policy development in agricultural research.
She has authored and co-authored several publications and serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Food Studies, Frontiers in Global Women's Health, and RSIS International Journals. In 2013, she received the "AU-TWAS Young Scientists National Award in Earth and Life Sciences," awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education in Kenya on behalf of the African Union and the World Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Habwe supervises postgraduate students at the Master's and PhD levels in public health and human nutrition and is a mentor to many students. Her professional philosophy is: "Integration of African indigenous foods into the modern menu to eliminate malnutrition and improve health for development."
