College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Entomology

Bio

Dr. Ruth Mbabazi is a Research Assistant Professor with the World Technology Access Program (WorldTAP) in the Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University (MSU). The WorldTAP is an international capacity building and technology transfer program. Dr. Mbabazi is also a core faculty with the African Studies Centre, Asian Studies Centre, and Latin America and Caribbean Studies Center at MSU. In 2018, she was appointed on the Advisory Board of the MSU African Studies Center. Dr. Mbabazi’s research focuses on the policy and regulatory aspects of agricultural biotechnology and biosafety as they related to technology transfer and commercialization. She is working with several countries in Africa to enhance policies and regulatory frameworks governing biotechnology and seed systems.  She brings more than 12 years of experience in agriculture policy, regulations and technology transfer as it relates to applications of modern biotechnology tools to enhance food and nutritional security and economic growth in developing countries.  Dr. Mbabazi received her Ph.D degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia.  She has technical expertise in biotechnology research and development, product stewardship, intellectual property management and biosafety systems towards the implementation of Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) of the Convention of the Biological Diversity (CBD). Dr. Mbabazi is a member of the biosafety regulatory team of the water efficient maize for Africa (WEMA) project in Uganda. She actively interacts with policy makers and other stakeholders from more than 20 national governments in Africa to support collaborative research, outreach and capacity building initiatives in the area of biosafety, biotechnology, technology transfer and commercialization.  For her exemplary contributions, in March 2018, Dr. Mbabazi received the prestigious John K. Hudzik Emerging Leader Award in Advancing International Studies and Programs at MSU. Dr. Mbabazi can be contacted via e-mail at: mbabazi@msu.edu