Hellen Nyambura Kariuki is a Kenyan qualified medical doctor, researcher, and academician at the University of Nairobi.
She has made history by becoming the first female Professor of Medical Physiology at the University of Nairobi (UoN).
Nyambura’s elevation to the rank of professor in the field of medicine follows years of dedication to medical education, research, mentorship, and academic leadership.
The University of Nairobi has celebrated her achievement, and she joins other female professors in the field of medicine from the institution and the entire the Republic of Kenya.
Hellen Nyambura Kariuki Early Life and Education
Professor Kariuki was born on 10th October 1960 in Thogoto, Kiambu County.
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Her academic journey began at Thogoto Junior School, where she studied between 1966 and 1972 for her Certificate of Primary Education (CPE).
In 1973, she joined Alliance Girls’ High School, one of Kenya’s most prestigious institutions. She completed her East African Certificate of Education (EACE) in 1976 with Division One. In 1978, she did her East African Advanced Certificate of Education (EAACE)
After completing her secondary education, Kariuki was admitted to the University of Nairobi to pursue a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB), from which she graduated in 1985.
With a passion for child health and medicine, she returned to the University of Nairobi in 1990 for postgraduate studies, earning a Master of Medicine in Pediatrics (MMed) (Pediatrics) in 1995.
Prof. Kariuki undertook a fellowship training in Pediatric Hematology at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, University of London, between 1996 and 1997.
The training equipped her with expertise in the diagnosis and management of blood disorders affecting children.
Career Background in Academic and Medical Career
Over the years, Prof. Kariuki has established herself as one of Kenya’s respected medical academics and clinicians.
She has served in various capacities at the University of Nairobi, rising through the ranks and working in several hospitals in Kenya.
She began her professional journey as a Research Assistant at the KEMRI Virus Research Center in Nairobi in 1983 before serving as a Research Assistant at the University of Ottawa’s Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine in Canada in 1986.
After completing her internship at Kenyatta National Hospital between 1986 and 1987, she worked in various medical roles, including as a Medical Officer at the hospital’s Casualty Department, Nyahururu District Hospital, and the National Youth Service Health Center in Ruaraka.
In 1990, she joined the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta National Hospital as a Registrar while pursuing specialist training in pediatrics.
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After qualifying as a consultant pediatrician, she served at Mbagathi District Hospital before undertaking the Commonwealth Fellowship.
Since August 1996, Prof. Kariuki has been a member of the academic staff at the University of Nairobi, where she became a Senior Lecturer in 2002
Throughout her career, she has coordinated undergraduate medical programs, served on curriculum development committees, and trained generations of doctors.
She has also worked as a consultant pediatrician and pediatric hematologist at major health facilities, including Kenyatta National Hospital, Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital, Nairobi Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, MP Shah Hospital, and Mater Hospital.
In addition, she has been one of the lead consultants in pediatric oncology at KNH and served as Project Director of the Cancer Treatment Program at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital.
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