Dorcas M. Kamuya

In recent years, there has been increased interest and debates on ways to strengthen ethics of international research in developing countries. Community engagement, involving community members or constituencies in research process, is increasingly been promoted as one way in which to address challenges around ethics of research in developing countries. It is also argued that the mechanisms, depths, level and type of community engagement depend on type, phase/stage nd the context of the study. Community engagement in biomedical research has been my area of interest in recent years, in particular, finding wnnovateive ways to bring communities voices in spheres that have traditionally been considered as not appropriate to engage community about.

Dorcas is currently in her second year of PhD studies, registered with Open University and funded by the Unit’s Strategic Award. Her research is around community engagement in biomedical research in developing countries, with a specific focus on how social relations between and within study team and research participants develop and evolve during conduct of study, and how they influence decision making around participation, retention and withdrawal from study; and the impact they have on institutional policies.

Before embarking on studies, Dorcas was the community liaison manager for the research centre, where together with a group of dedicated staff, Community Liaison Group within Social behavioural research team, they facilitated setting up different mechanisms for engaging with residents and stakeholders around and within the Demographic Surveillance System in Kilifi District where most of KEMRI-Kilifi's research activities take place.