Welcome to the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Nairobi a very exciting place to consider for your future studies. The Department has a rich history of excellence in education training, research and service and is among the pioneer trainers of professional biochemists both locally and in the entire East African region. The Department trains undergraduate and postgraduate students in both classroom and laboratory for capacity building, research and enterprise and also serves as a gateway to other University programmes especially for students in the first- and second-years of study admitted for Medical, Pharmacy, Veterinary and Agricultural sciences.
Besides teaching, the Department has a research unit, Centre of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics (CEBIB) which is endowered with functional state-of-the-art facilities and instrumentation that include among others: Molecular Biology Laboratories, Bioinformatics unit, Genomics platforms as well as the undergraduate and graduate laboratories. Our academic staff are dedicated to state-of-the-art training and research in areas of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics in which we apply powerful, newer tools and technologies to train the next generation scientists as well as to generate innovative commercial products for use by the humankind. Our research attention is mainly focused on biochemical, biotechnological and bioinformatics as well as the ‘omics’ areas including genomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics with the additional advantage of using multiple model systems in the process.
Collaborative research networks and consultancy are some of the core businesses of our many assignments. The department has collaborative patterner-ships with reputable local and international research organizations such as ICIPE, KEMRI, ILRI, ICRAF, among many others. With the research acumen and international recognition and through the existing collaborative patterner-ships our faculty have continued to win research funding from local, regional or international donors, recently including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, NIH, LEAP-Agri, Bio-Innovate Africa, National Research Fund (NRF), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to name just a few. As experts in their respective fields, the faculty continue to publish research findings in top-tier scientific journals while some are part of a number of journal editorial boards and grant review panels.
The Department consists of diverse but unified group of wonderfully welcoming Faculty, working in an intellectually vibrant and intensely collegial environment with a genuine commitment for student training and research. We are dedicated, enthusiastic and committed to training, conducting innovative research and providing mentorship to students and trainees in a conducive environment that espouses the principles of diversity and inclusiveness. In collaboration with the University, the Department, offers both psycho-social and financial support to our students in form of scholarships, grants and work study programmes. As part of our corporate social responsibility and together with our students, we often engage our immediate communities for outreach programmes and other activities modelled on the platform of community service.
I therefore take this early opportunity to welcome and encourage you to consider joining our supportive, dynamic Department as you seek the next step in your future education and research training. I also welcome your comments for continuous improvement and upgrade of this site. Please feel free to contact us for more information.
Gerald Juma, PhD
Chairman, Department of Biochemistry
P.O Box 30197-00100
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 (020)494152
Email: dept-biochem@uonbi.ac.ke