Bellancile Uzayisenga
Dr. Bellancile Uzayisenga holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Nairobi and an M.Sc. in Plant Pathology and Entomology from Wageningen University. She is the Acting Plant & Microbial Biotechnology Programme Coordinator and a Senior Principal Research Fellow at the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB). In 2024, she received the national research female award for her impactful contributions to society. Her expertise spans plant pathology, entomology, pest management, microbiology, crop protection, pesticide management, and bioinformatics. She has played a key role in developing national standards, certification processes, and export market regulations, assisting companies in obtaining GLOBALG.A.P. certification.
Dr. Uzayisenga is the Ambassador for the British Society for Plant Pathology and a member of several international technical working groups, including those focused on trade facilitation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and pesticide registration in the East African Community. She is a Plant Biosecurity Senior Fellow under the Africa-Australia Plant Biosecurity Partnerships and a member of the SPS Regional Committee at COMESA. Her leadership extends to coordinating agricultural projects and collaborating with stakeholders such as CABI, ILRI, ICIPE, and major agro-companies. Fluent in English, French, and Kinyarwanda, she has authored numerous scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, covering topics in plant pathology, molecular biology, and agricultural sciences.