Expertise: biodiversity, environment, health, agriculture, urbanization
Languages: French, English
Based in: Nairobi, Kenya

François Gasengayire is a renowned expert on using research to improve the health, environment, and livelihoods of Africa’s urban poor – particularly through innovative agricultural and environmental strategies.

At IDRC, Gasengayire directs research on many of these issues, including how to conserve and use biodiversity to improve the health of poor communities. Gasengayire was the lead researcher for the international Network for the Valorization of Plant Materials in Africa, which promotes research on the use of natural products to generate income for the poor. Before joining IDRC, Gasengayire was Director General of the Research Institute of Science and Technology in Rwanda, where, among other things, he helped establish a research program on medicinal plants and traditional medicine.

Gasengayire holds a PhD in sciences from the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) and a post-graduate diploma in education.

For more on Gasengayire's work:

Recognition and Respect for African Traditional Medicine

Ecosystems and Human Health