New dissertation within One Health: We congratulate Jean Pierre Mpatswenumugabo!
Last changed: 20 January 2025
Recently, Jean Pierre Mpatswenumugabo successfully defended his thesis. We took the opportunity to ask some questions about his research and future plans.
Hi Jean Pierre, who are you, and what is your research about?
"My name is Jean Pierre M. Mpatswenumugabo, and I am a researcher with over 15 years of experience teaching at the University of Rwanda. My research expertise lies in food security, food safety, public health, and the One Health approach."
How does your research align with the One Health concept, and in what ways can it contribute to a more sustainable and socially impactful world?
"For my PhD, I focused on the connection between cow milk quality and child nutrition, with an emphasis on preventing zoonotic diseases-human diseases that originate from animals or animal products like milk. By assisting smallholder dairy farmers in implementing biosecurity measures at the farm level to prevent diseases in dairy cows, we were able to increase milk yields and enhance its quality. This improvement has not only provided nutritious milk essential for the growth and health of young children in Rwanda but also improved food security and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. These efforts contribute significantly to poverty reduction, hunger alleviation, and national development. Ensuring the availability and safety of nutritious food is a cornerstone of the One Health concept."
What are your plans now after your PhD?
"After completing my PhD, I returned to Rwanda to continue teaching in the Department of Veterinary Medicine and conducting research in public health, One Health, and combating child malnutrition. I plan to establish a One Health research cluster and integrate human nutrition into the traditional One Health framework."
We wish Jean Pierre the best of luck in his future career!