Elias Charles Nyanza | Environmental | Best Academic Researcher Award

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Dr. Elias Charles Nyanza |  Environmental | Best Academic Researcher Award

Senior Lecturer at  Catholic University Of Health And Allied Sciences, Tanzania

Dr. Elias Charles Nyanza is a Tanzanian public health expert and environmental and occupational health specialist. He currently serves as a Senior Lecturer at the School of Public Health, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS) in Tanzania. Dr. Nyanza holds a Ph.D. in Population and Public Health from the University of Calgary, Canada, along with an MPH and BSc in Environmental Sciences and Management. His expertise spans quality assurance, environmental exposure assessment, and community health research. Over the years, he has played a key role in academic mentorship, research coordination, and program leadership, including serving as a program coordinator for the Master of Public Health at CUHAS. Recognized for his academic excellence and contributions to global health, he has received several prestigious awards, including the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and the Global Health Champion Award. His research focuses on HIV immunity, co-morbidities, and metal(loids) exposure, contributing significantly to public health advancements.

Profile:

🎓 Academic Background:

  • Postdoctoral Fellow (2023) – Mwanza Intervention Trial Unit, Tanzania

  • Ph.D. in Population and Public Health (2020) – University of Calgary, Canada

  • Master of Public Health (2011) – Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania

  • B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and Management (2008) – Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania

🏆 Awards & Recognition:

  • Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (2015) – Prestigious award for leadership and academic excellence

  • Global Health Champion Award (2013) – University of Calgary, Canada

  • Community Health Sciences Achievement Award (2017, 2019)

  • Tom Feasby Graduate Award in Global Health (2014–2017)

  • Vice Chancellor’s Prize (2007, 2008) – Sokoine University of Agriculture

💼 Professional Expertise:

  • Senior Lecturer (2021–Present) – CUHAS, specializing in Public Health, Community Medicine, Environmental and Occupational Health

  • Crowdfunding & Social Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator (2014–Present) – University of Calgary & CUHAS partnership

  • Co-Team Leader (2012–Present) – Canadian One Health research-intensive field school in Tanzania

  • Environmental Senior Chemist & Quality Management Representative (2008–2011) – SGS African Assay, Mwanza

Citations:

Citations: 1,733 (All), 1,324 (Since 2020)
h-index: 21 (All), 20 (Since 2020)
i10-index: 34 (All), 31 (Since 2020)

Publication Top Notes:

  • Phthalate exposure and children’s neurodevelopment: a systematic review
    M. Ejaredar, E.C. Nyanza, K. Ten Eycke, D. Dewey
    Environmental Research, 142, 51-60 (2015) – Citations: 327

  • Antenatal depression is associated with pregnancy-related anxiety, partner relations, and wealth in women in Northern Tanzania: a cross-sectional study
    M. Rwakarema, S.S. Premji, E.C. Nyanza, P. Riziki, L. Palacios-Derflingher
    BMC Women’s Health, 15, 1-10 (2015) – Citations: 189

  • Geophagy practices and the content of chemical elements in the soil eaten by pregnant women in artisanal and small-scale gold mining communities in Tanzania
    E.C. Nyanza, M. Joseph, S.S. Premji, D.S.K. Thomas, C. Mannion
    BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 14, 1-10 (2014) – Citations: 108

  • Antenatal care and opportunities for quality improvement of service provision in resource-limited settings: A mixed-methods study
    A. Solnes Miltenburg, L. Van Der Eem, E.C. Nyanza, S. Van Pelt, P. Ndaki, …
    PLOS ONE, 12(12), e0188279 (2017) – Citations: 90

  • A cross-sectional survey on knowledge and perceptions of health risks associated with arsenic and mercury contamination from artisanal gold mining in Tanzania
    E. Charles, D.S.K. Thomas, D. Dewey, M. Davey, S.E. Ngallaba, E. Konje
    BMC Public Health, 13, 1-8 (2013) – Citations: 90

  • Toxic mercury versus appropriate technology: Artisanal gold miners’ retort aversion
    J.B. Jønsson, E. Charles, P. Kalvig
    Resources Policy, 38(1), 60-67 (2013) – Citations: 89

  • Period teasing, stigma, and knowledge: A survey of adolescent boys and girls in Northern Tanzania
    A. Benshaul-Tolonen, S. Aguilar-Gomez, N. Heller Batzer, R. Cai, …
    PLOS ONE, 15(10), e0239914 (2020) – Citations: 70

  • Maternal exposure to arsenic and mercury and associated risk of adverse birth outcomes in small-scale gold mining communities in Northern Tanzania
    F.P.B. Elias C. Nyanza, D. Dewey, M. Manyama, J.W. Martin, …
    Environment International, 137, 105450 (2020) – Citations: 69

  • Spatial distribution of mercury and arsenic levels in water, soil, and cassava plants in a community with a long history of gold mining in Tanzania
    E.C. Nyanza, D. Dewey, D.S.K. Thomas, M. Davey, S.E. Ngallaba
    Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 93, 716-721 (2014) – Citations: 54

  • Effects of prenatal exposure and co-exposure to metallic or metalloid elements on early infant neurodevelopmental outcomes in areas with small-scale gold mining activities in Tanzania
    E.C. Nyanza, F.P. Bernier, J.W. Martin, M. Manyama, J. Hatfield, D. Dewey
    Environment International, 149, 106104 (2021) – Citations: 53

 

Lelethu Mdoda | Climate change | Best Researcher Award

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Dr Lelethu Mdoda | Climate change | Best Researcher Award

Senior Lecturer at  University of KwaZulu-Natal,  South Africa

Dr. Lelethu Mdoda is a Senior Lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, specializing in Agricultural Economics. He earned his PhD at 25 from the University of Fort Hare, focusing on market participation and value chain integration among smallholder farmers in South Africa.

Profile:

🎓 Academic Background:

  • PhD in Agriculture – Agricultural Economics (2017) – University of Fort Hare
    • Thesis: Market participation and value chain integration among smallholder farmers in Eastern Cape
  • MSc in Agriculture – Agricultural Economics (2015) – University of Fort Hare
    • Dissertation: Farmers’ awareness of climate change and its effects on productivity
  • BSc in Agriculture – Agricultural Economics/Economics (2013) – University of Fort Hare

🔬 Research Focus & Expertise:

Dr. Mdoda specializes in agricultural policy, climate change adaptation, smallholder economies, food security, and rural development. His expertise extends to agribusiness, value chains, sustainability, and resource economics. He has extensive experience in applied econometric modeling, data analysis, and market research.

📚 Professional Career & Contributions:

  • Senior Lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal
  • Published over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles
  • NRF Rating: Y2
  • Active in mentoring, research, and project management

🌍 Professional Memberships & Leadership:

  • President of the African Farm Management Association (AFMA)
  • Member of AEASA, IAAE, and IFAMA

🏆 Awards & Recognitions:

  • DAAD German Scholarship (2016)
  • NRF Bursary for MSc (2015)
  • Best Agricultural Student Award (2007)
  • Travel Grants from IFAMA (2016, 2017)

🤝 Community Engagement & Projects:

  • Founder & Executive Director of #HaySureLesner Foundation – Youth mentorship, drug abuse awareness, and career guidance
  • Nguni Project – Market coordination for livestock farming
  • Keiskamahoek Market Day – Supporting smallholder farmers with market access
  • WRC Project – Enhancing smallholder irrigation farming in Eastern Cape

Publication Top Notes:

  • Factors affecting the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by livestock farmers in the Eastern Cape province
    L Mdoda, L Mdiya
    Cogent Social Science 8 (1), 2026017 (43 citations, 2022)

  • Factors affecting subsistence farming in rural areas of Nyandeni Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province
    S Qange, L Mdoda
    South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 48 (2), 92-105 (43 citations, 2020)

  • The direct and indirect economic contribution of small-scale black agriculture in South Africa
    M Aliber, L Mdoda
    Agrekon 54 (2), 18-37 (36 citations, 2015)

  • RETRACTED: Factors impacting sugarcane production by small-scale farmers in KwaZulu-Natal Province-South Africa
    Z Thibane, S Soni, L Phali, L Mdoda
    Heliyon 9 (1) (30 citations, 2023)

  • Analysis of profitability of smallholder irrigated food plots in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
    L Mdoda, A Obi
    Journal of Agribusiness and Rural Development 3 (53), 225–232 (23 citations, 2019)

  • Socio-economic factors affecting home gardens as a livelihood strategy in rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
    L Mdiya, L Mdoda
    South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 49 (3), 1-15 (21 citations, 2021)

  • Adoption drivers of improved open-pollinated (OPVs) maize varieties by smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
    M Sigigaba, L Mdoda, A Mditshwa
    Sustainability (20 citations, 2021)

  • Profit efficiency in family-owned crop farms in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa: A translog profit function approach
    N Mujuru, A Obi, S Mishi, L Mdoda
    Agriculture & Food Security 11 (20), 2-9 (18 citations, 2022)

  • Determinants of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies adoption by smallholder food crop farmers in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Free State
    A Makamane, J Van Niekerk, O Loki, L Mdoda
    South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 51 (4), 52-74 (14 citations, 2023)

  • Use of information systems (Mobile phone app) for enhancing smallholder farmers’ productivity in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa: Implications on food security
    L Mdoda, M Christian, I Agbugba
    Journal of the Knowledge Economy 15 (1), 1993-2009 (13 citations, 2024)