The consortium is led by six Principal Investigators — one from each partner institution — coordinated by Prof. Jennifer Orwa of KEMRI.
Coordinates the consortium and leads the ethnopharmacological study of natural products, policy reviews and integration into mainstream healthcare.
Leads the development of herbal COVID-19 antiviral interventions from local medicinal plants and their endophytes.
Leads the development of immune-regulatory supplements from indigenous edible herbs and vegetables.
Leads the evaluation of safety and efficacy of herbal formulations, and their standardisation for integration into COVID-19 prevention and management.
Leads antimicrobial spray formulations and biocidal binding agents for personal protective equipment.
Leads the development of functional food products from activated edible mushrooms to mitigate SARS-like conditions.
The consortium is coordinated by KEMRI, with each partner institution responsible for a distinct research workstream. A research management structure links the Principal Investigators, postgraduate researchers and technical teams across the six institutions.
The consortium works in close partnership with the Herbalists Society of Kenya (HSK), whose president Dr. Lydiah Matoke and regional leaders collaborate in the survey, mapping and validation of indigenous remedies. This partnership is central to the consortium's goal of bringing science to indigenous knowledge.
We welcome postgraduate researchers, scientists and practitioners interested in natural products research.
