Dr. Helida Oyieke is the Director for Research and Collections at the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi, where she oversees and provides leadership on research and collection programs in the institution. Dr. Oyieke started her research career in 1984 at the Kenyan Marine and Fisheries Institute in Mombasa where she rose to the rank of Senior Research Scientist. In 1994, she joined the National Museums of Kenya as a Senior Research Scientist, rose to the Principal Scientist position, and was appointed to her current position in 2004. Throughout her research career she has mobilized grants for research in the fields of taxonomy, ecology, biodiversity, conservation, and collections management. In addition, she serves on several technical, national, and regional committees. Dr. Oyieke is currently serving as a member of the Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) Executive Committee, representing Africa, and also chairs the steering committee for the Eastern Africa Barcode Initiative, where she is making efforts to popularize bar coding technology as a tool for taxonomy in the region. She also sits on a Kenyan national committee that is currently developing the country’s environment and development policies. Dr. Oyieke holds B.Ed, M.Sc and Ph.D degrees in biological sciences all from the University of Nairobi and is specialized in the Marine Botanical Sciences.
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