People

Dr. Muwanika B Vincent is an Associate professor of conservation and Evolutionary biology in the Department of Environmental Management. Over the last 15 years, his research has concentrated on understanding and explaining processes that drive diversification and extinction (human and natural) in a wide range of taxa. He has sought to understand how different taxa responded to current human induced activities and climatic shifts and how these could be used to predict future species responses. He has also sought to understand local community behavior and attitudes that influence utilization of biological resources and how such behavior could be used to enhance livelihoods. 

In recent years his research scopehas expanded to include understanding why some selected wildlife/livestock diseases persist despite the several control measures. The hypothesis being that rapid change in the genomes of these organisms could underlie this phenomenon. In this respect, his research group is studyingFoot-and-Mouth disease and African swine fever viral genomes recovered from ongoing outbreaks as well as isolates spanning the last 50 years. The goal is to contribute towards disease control especially those of economic importance.

Selected Publications