Biography
Dr. David Niyukuri is an epidemiologist, mathematical modeller and public health scientist at the University of Burundi, where he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Institute of Applied Statistics and Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Research Program in Public Health at the Doctoral School. He is also Founding Coordinator of the Central Africa Epidemic Modelling Network (CEpiNet) and a Research Associate at the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA), Stellenbosch University.
His research integrates mathematics, epidemiology, computational modelling and public health to understand infectious-disease transmission and strengthen evidence-informed epidemic preparedness and response. His work encompasses malaria, HIV, mpox and other emerging infectious diseases, using approaches including mathematical and agent-based modelling, phylodynamics, machine learning and epidemic intelligence.
Dr. Niyukuri has contributed to international public-health response through the World Health Organization, including work associated with the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the WHO Health Emergencies Programme. His malaria research has contributed to the evidence base reflected in the WHO World Malaria Report 2023, while his recent research includes modelling of mpox transmission and vaccination strategies in Central Africa.
He is an Iso Lomso Fellow of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study and was a 2025–2026 Fellow of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin. He has also played an active role in African science-policy and young-scientist networks, including the Burundi Council of Young Scientists and NASAC-related initiatives.
His experience in mathematical epidemiology, epidemic intelligence, scientific capacity building and science-policy engagement is particularly relevant to Liberia's priorities in public health preparedness, quantitative research and the development of young scientists.