profile
Didier Alberto Marin
Research Associate
Didier Alberto Marin is an agronomy student currently developing his thesis work in gene editing. With over 10 years of experience in Genetic Transformation and tissue culture, Didier has gained expertise in various methodologies, including CRISPR-Cas9, one of the most widely used tools for gene editing in plants today. This tool has enabled the creation of new plant varieties with special characteristics that have a significant impact on agriculture. Didier's…
profile
Ismahane Elouafi
CGIAR Executive Managing Director
Ismahane Elouafi is the Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, effective December 1, 2023.
She previously held the position of Chief Scientist at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Prior to that, she was the Director General at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) based in the United Arab Emirates.
Dr. Elouafi has held several senior scientific and leadership positions, including: Senior Adviser to the…
profile
Cristina Ramos
Research Specialist
Cristina is a climate security and migration specialist working with the Climate Security team’s West and Central Africa Hub.
Cristina is a social scientist with expertise in qualitative research methods, focusing on climate-related migration and displacement. She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the Universidad de Los Andes and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Florida. She has been part of research projects on issues of migration and education in East…
profile
Sakile Kudita
Team Leader, Country Representative for Zimbabwe
Sakile Kudita has more than 20 years’ experience working at the nexus of agriculture, biodiversity-conservation and nutrition. She currently leads the effort for developing nutrition sensitive, climate smart, and environmentally sustainable agricultural value chains that benefit smallholder farmers, especially women. Sakile is also currently completing a multi-disciplinary PhD at Wageningen University, focusing on valorizing traditional cereal…
profile
Sabine Homann-Kee Tui
Scientist I
Sabine Homann-Kee Tui is a crop-livestock scientist who integrates social science to develop inclusive and sustainable farming solutions. Her research focuses on sustainable intensification of smallholder farming systems in Eastern and Southern Africa, through crop-livestock integration, sustainable natural resource use, and climate action. Sabine has expertise in agri-food systems and value chains and applies economic impact analyses and multi-model frameworks to inform climate…
profile
Maria Garruccio
Manager, Information Management and Open Science,
Maria is the Manager of the Information Management and Open Science Team at the Alliance. Her team supports Alliance scientists throughout the entire research cycle. They provide support and expertise with finding research papers, bibliographic searches and background information, as well as providing guidance on scholarly publishing. They facilitate access to scientific documentation, tools, bibliographic databases, and provide training on…
profile
Ignace Dupont
Research Assistant II
Ignace Dupont is a laboratory technician in Leuven. He supports the genotyping team and helps simulate various current and future climate conditions using a high-throughput growth chamber known as the “BananaTainer”. Additionally, he assists in operating an online transpiration monitoring platform, Phenospex, within the greenhouse.
Agrobiodiversity
Belgium
Bananas…
profile
Phuong Luong
GIS Analyst
Phuong Luong is a Geographic Information System Analyst working in the Digital Inclusion Lever. With a background in natural resources and environment management, her research interest focuses on the innovative use of technology to enhance agricultural practices in an environmentally sustainable manner. In her current role, she is dedicated to supporting the development of land cover maps by interpreting sampling data and employing machine learning techniques to streamline the process.…
profile
Sandra Patricia Valdés Gutiérrez
Senior Research Associate
Agronomist Engineer with M.Sc. in Plant Pathology. Sandra worked as a Research assistant at CENICAFE and CENICANA in Colombia and as a Senior Research in the virology division and Plant Transformation Core Facility at the University of Missouri. She currently works as a Senior Research Associate at the Gene Editing Platform of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT in charge of genetic transformation and gene editing in rice and cocoa…
profile
Desire Kagabo
Project Leader
Desire is a PhD holder working for the Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT with over two decades of experience in climate action research, specializing in the co-production, translation, and delivery of tailored bundled agro-climate advisory services for downstream actors. He utilizes innovative dissemination approaches such as digital platforms, participatory methods, and mass media to deliver bundled agro-climate advisory services effectively. Desire authored numerous papers…
profile
Juan Camilo Mejía Medina
Research Associate
Juan Camilo Mejía Medina is a biologist passionate about statistics, plant ecophysiology, and photosynthesis. He is genuinely interested in climate change and how changes in the weather and landscape impact the heat resistance of plants. He also has background in seed physiology, ecological restoration, thermal thresholds, and gas exchange.
Crops for nutrition and health
Americas…
profile
Ed Mabaya
Miembro de la Junta Directiva de la Alianza
Ed Mabaya es académico y experto en desarrollo, con más de dos décadas de experiencia en desarrollo rural, cadenas de valor de la agroindustria, sistemas de semillas y seguridad alimentaria, con especial atención en el África subsahariana. Es Profesor de Investigación en el Departamento de Desarrollo Global de la Universidad de Cornell. Su labor docente, investigadora y de divulgación se centra en la seguridad alimentaria y en el desarrollo económico en África…
profile
Gina Kennedy
Principal Scientist
Gina Kennedy is Principal Scientist with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. Gina is engaged with the CGIAR Science Program on Better Diets and Nutrition and leading research grants to understand linkages between agriculture, food composition and diet quality. Gina is passionate about food biodiversity and the role that food biodiversity can play in creating healthier food systems that nurture both people and the planet. She has a deep understanding of food-based…
profile
Fatimata Kone
Senior Communications Analyst
profile
Andrés Ruiz
Research Associate
Andrés Felipe Ruiz Hurtado is a mechatronics engineer with a master’s in environmental engineering and a strong commitment to sustainability. He currently works as an artificial intelligence researcher and senior software developer, implementing innovative solutions for the Tropical Forages Program at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. His work focuses on leveraging automation and advanced technologies to enhance productivity and sustainability in agricultural and…
