2023 Leadership Journey Project: Bridging the gap between evidence and advocacy initiatives in Kenya: Teenage pregnancies
Dr. Kangwana holds a PhD in public health epidemiology and a masters in Global Health Science, and is a strong believer in every individual’s right to lead a healthy life. Over the past five years, she has been involved in co-designing and testing interventions aimed at reducing child marriage, teenage pregnancies, and improving mental health in adolescents. She has worked as a researcher at KEMRI Wellcome Trust, Kenya and Imperial College London, UK. In 2021, Dr. Kangwana was appointed as the Executive Director of Population Council-Kenya, a locally registered and led research-focused organization. Prior to this, she was a Research Associate at Population Council-Kenya’s Poverty, Gender & Youth Department from 2018-2021.
Before joining Population Council-Kenya, Dr. Kangwana was a Senior Research Analyst at Population Services International, Kenya’s ACTwatch from September 2015-December 2016, and a Research Associate at Imperial College London’s Centre for Infection and Prevention Management (CIPM) from September 2013-October 2014. She also worked at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust Research Programme as a Post-Doctoral Researcher from 2011-2012 and as a PhD student from 2008-2011. Dr. Kangwana began her research career as a Research Assistant at KEMRI in 2005-2006.
Dr. Kangwana has a wealth of academic qualifications including a PhD from the Open University in collaboration with KEMRI-Wellcome Trust, UK (2008-2012), an MSc in Global Health Science from the University of Oxford, UK (2006-2007), and a Masters in Pharmacy (MPharm) 1st class honors from the University of London, School of Pharmacy, UK (2000-2004). She also completed Pharmacy pre-registration training for membership into the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (MRPharmS) at Chelsea and Westminster hospital, London, UK (2004-2005)
Fun Fact: Beth loves to travel, explore the world, meet new people and experience new things. In her youthful years she travelled to Costa Rica and volunteered as a security guard, protecting turtle eggs from poachers on a public beach!
