Keynote Speaker

Biography

At CABI, Dr Mulema supports the development and implementation of projects and programmes, ethics, and compliance with international (Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture) and national regulations regarding the utilization of genetic resources. He has more than a decade of experience working in both developed and developing countries on a range of projects, mainly in plant health. Dr. Mulema has worked with various stakeholders across sub-Saharan Africa to establish all-inclusive plant health systems. Before joining CABI, Dr. Mulema worked in agricultural extension (Uganda) and research (Makerere University, Uganda and the University of Warwick, United Kingdom). His research focused on plant defence and pathogen virulence at the molecular level, covering both qualitative and quantitative resistance with practical implications for plant health. His current areas of focus include pest surveillance and associated studies, pest risk analysis, horizon scanning to document high-risk invasive alien species, metagenomics and microbiome research to understand the effect of climate change, farming practices, and invasive species on species richness and diversity. Dr. Mulema is also passionate about initiatives geared towards enhancing youth capabilities and capacities to exploit opportunities in the agricultural sector