International Centre of Insect Physiology & Ecology
Kenya
Dr. Baldwyn Torto
Dr. Baldwyn Torto is an organic chemist and principal scientist at the International Centre of Insect Physiology & Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and was recently selected to serve as a member of AAS Commission on Science Education. He has over 25 years of progressive research experience on insects impacting on food security, human health, biodiversity, and environmental research, with outputs mostly geared towards improving the livelihoods of the rural and urban poor in Africa.
He was inspired to pursue a research career on insects by Prof. Thomas R. Odhiambo, founding director of ICIPE who once said, “Only scientific research will bring Africa to a position where it can control its destiny.”
He has been true to this course, and he is currently coordinating research aimed at conserving the rich honey bee diversity in Africa for important ecosystem services for food security. He is also championing the development of improved management tools against vector-borne emerging infectious diseases on the continent.
He has delivered invited and plenary lectures at various meetings and conferences, including the 9th General Assembly of AAS in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo; the European Bee Week in Brussels, Belgium (see http://youtu.be/bTcSneAdDLI?t=2m39s); the Royal Society of Chemistry / Pan African Chemistry Network Conference in Accra, Ghana; and the COLOSS Bee Conference in Belgrade, Serbia.