Meet the E4D Doctoral Fellows 2022
We are excited to introduce you to E4D's Doctoral Fellows 2022: Andrés Javier Hernandez, Bigyan Babu Regmi and Jonathan Olal Ogwang. The fellows set out to develop and deploy solutions for diagnosing mosquito-borne diseases, analysing the impact of education programmes on energy-related financial literacy and energy consumption behaviour in Nepal, and understanding the successes and failures of biogas in Sub-saharan Africa.
Meet Andrés Javier Hernández
Andrés Javier is a Chemical Engineer and holds an M.Sc. from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. He has worked on biotechnology with medical applications. His background is related to bioreactor scale-up, cultures of mammalian cells in suspension, and molecular biology for non-viral genic modification of cells.
Doctoral Project: Development and Implementation of a Multiplexed Point-of-care Diagnostic Test for Dengue Virus Infections.
Development and Implementation of a Multiplexed Point-of-care Diagnostic Test for Dengue Virus Infections.
The rapid spread of Dengue Virus (DENV) over the last 50 years represents a significant threat to public health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Unfortunately, these countries lack effective track-trace-treat programs since contemporary diagnostics rely on complex laboratories and highly trained personnel. This project aims to develop a highly sensitive and specific point-of-care test for DENV diagnosis that will enhance the interruption of chains of transmission of DENV and reduce DENV-associated mortality.
Supevisors: Prof. Andrew deMello
Meet Jonathan Olal Ogwang
Jonathan is a Civil Engineer and holds a M.Sc. from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Much of Jonathan’s academic and professional work over the past five years has focused on biogas provision in South Africa: as a researcher at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and as an engineer, independent biogas provider, and project manager. Jonathan’s skills, experience and passion are centred on contributing to solutions for managing waste, water and renewable energy.
Doctoral Project: How biogas failed to light up a continent: why the most promising technology never spread across Africa.
This project aims to understand the technical, economic, and socio-political reasons for low biogas uptake within Sub-Saharan Africa. The work will provide evidence for, and quantify the impacts of, biogas failure, in South Africa and Malawi, with the ultimate goal of improving the design, targeting, and training related to biogas on the continent.
Supervisors: Prof Elizabeth Tilley, Dr Marc Kalina
Meet Bigyan Babu Regmi
Bigyan Babi Regmi has a M.Sc. in Development Economics from the University of Oxford. Outside of his studies, Bigyan has also worked at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, the EPICENTER European Policy Information Center and the UN World Food Programme.
Doctoral Project: The impact of energy and financial education programmes on students’ energy-related financial literacy and energy consumption behaviour in Nepal
This project aims to analyse the impact of energy-related financial education programmes on students’ energy-related financial literacy and energy consumption behaviour. From a bottom-up-perspective, the study aims to empower households with literacy needed to consume energy smartly and reduce the cost of energy over time. From a policy perspective, it hopes to contribute to the attainment of sustainable development in Nepal (as well as other low-income countries) by providing insights on the ways in which countries can combat climate change by stimulating sustainable energy consumption behaviour among its population.
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Massimo Filippini