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:
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Postdoctoral Fellow (2023) – Mwanza Intervention Trial Unit, Tanzania
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Ph.D. in Population and Public Health (2020) – University of Calgary, Canada
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Master of Public Health (2011) – Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania
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B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and Management (2008) – Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania
🏆 Awards & Recognition:
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Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (2015) – Prestigious award for leadership and academic excellence
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Global Health Champion Award (2013) – University of Calgary, Canada
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Community Health Sciences Achievement Award (2017, 2019)
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Tom Feasby Graduate Award in Global Health (2014–2017)
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Vice Chancellor’s Prize (2007, 2008) – Sokoine University of Agriculture
💼 Professional Expertise:
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Senior Lecturer (2021–Present) – CUHAS, specializing in Public Health, Community Medicine, Environmental and Occupational Health
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Crowdfunding & Social Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator (2014–Present) – University of Calgary & CUHAS partnership
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Co-Team Leader (2012–Present) – Canadian One Health research-intensive field school in Tanzania
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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)
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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