Fernandos Ongolly

Background

About Fernandos Ongolly

I have a background in Medical Anthropology and lots of interests in Health Innovation, Activism, Behavioural Science and Implementation Science. I have wide experience of conducting qualitative research in both rural and urban Kenya focusing on sexual and reproductive health. Prior to joining MISFIRES (https://misfires.ucd.ie/), I worked at the Kenya Medical Research Institute as a social scientist and a technical advisor for a project implementing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in public HIV clinics in Kenya. I was also involved in studies that focused on innovative HIV prevention technologies such as HIV self-testing kits, adherence monitoring/support devices and mobile apps. I also worked with the University of Nairobi Innovation Fellowship as a mentor in the East African Problem Based Learning Innovation C4D lab where I integrated my knowledge in Medical Anthropology with Design thinking. Out of work, I lead a group of non-medical scientists advocating for access to health information among vulnerable populations under an informal umbrella group named Africa Health Activists (AHA). Prior to starting my PhD at the University College Dublin, I worked with the MISFIRES project at the University College Dublin in the Republic of Ireland researching on the rollout of PrEP in Sub-Saharan Africa with interests on mapping out the role of activists among other PrEP actors in influencing the scaleup of PrEP as a HIV prevention intervention. Through this role, I got the inspiration for my PhD research that I started with a scholarship from the project. I am also the Interim Secretary General and a pioneer committee member of the Anthropological Association of Kenya; a professional body for practicing anthropologists and professionals from associated disciplines in Kenya. In addition, I am the Auditor of the University College Dublin PhD Society.