Meet our Team
Dr Skye Adams
Skye Adams is an associate lecturer at Wits University, specializing in pediatric neurogenic communication and dysphagia. With an MSc from UCL, she focuses on improving language development and swallowing care for children with disabilities, including autism.
Research Interests
Her primary research interests include pediatric neurogenic communication disorders, pediatric dysphagia, and language development.
Expertise and Public Engagement
Skye leads dysphagia management programs for children with Cerebral Palsy in Johannesburg, enhancing their quality of life through evidence-based care. Her expertise in speech pathology supports our project on improving child nutrition for autistic children through digital interventions.
Dr Edith Luhanga
Edith Luhanga is an assistant research professor at CMU-Africa, formerly a lecturer at NM-AIST, Tanzania. She holds a Ph.D. in information science from Japan's Nara Institute, an MSc in advanced computing, and a BEng (Hons) from the University of Nottingham, UK.
Research Interests
Luhanga's research focuses on designing theory-based behavior change systems that consider people's personal and socio-cultural contexts, through a human-centered approach. Her main domains of interest are health (particularly nutrition, maternal and child health, and disabilities management), financial inclusion, and privacy and security.
Expertise and Public Engagement
She was the deputy project leader for a 10-year project on capacity building through digital technologies at NM-AIST and served as Tanzania's representative to the UNESCO intergovernmental committee on drafting recommendations on the ethics of artificial intelligence in 2021.
Fabrice Mukarage
Fabrice Mukarage is a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, pursuing an MSc in Information Technology with an interest in research. He holds a BSc in Computer Science from Ashesi University, with a focus on Software Engineering and Web Technologies.
Research Interests
Fabrice has a background in research and software engineering, including internships at Princeton University, where he worked alongside and under the mentorship of professional Research Software Engineers to build, develop, and optimise the Scikit-HEP/hist project, and at Microsoft in Nigeria, where he worked on a web application for COVID-19 vaccine tracking.
Expertise and Public Engagement
Fabrice is skilled in JavaScript, ReactJS, PHP, and various web technologies, with a strong interest in user-centred design. He is currently working on managing feeding difficulties in children with Autism in South Africa as an intern.
Arshima Khan
Arshima Khan is an independent research consultant specialising in social and public health projects, including tobacco control, HIV, autism, and maternal health. She's a registered Research Psychologist with the HPCSA and a PhD Psychology fellow at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Research Interests
Arshima's primary research interests lie at the intersection of feminist theory, critical perspectives, and public health, where she explores the socio-political dimensions of health and advocates for equity and justice in health and policy.
Expertise and Public Engagement
Arshima Khan is a registered Research Psychologist with the HPCSA and an independent consultant focused on social and public health projects, including tobacco control, HIV, autism, and maternal health. She actively advocates for equity and justice in health and policy through her work.
Christopher Kuzagbe
Christopher Cofie Kuzagbe is a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, pursuing an MSc in Information Technology with a strong interest in research. He holds a BSc in Computer Science from the African Leadership University, where he focused on Human-Centred Design, Research, and Software Engineering.
Research Interests
Christopher is a co-founder of two startups in East Africa and has extensive experience working as a UI/UX Engineer across various industries. As a recipient of the prestigious Mandela Centennial Scholarship Program, he has demonstrated both academic excellence and leadership.
Expertise and Public Engagement
His expertise spans UI/UX Design, Product Management, and Software & Business Architecture, with proficiency in JavaScript, ReactJS, ExpressJS, and a variety of web technologies. Christopher remains deeply passionate about Human-Centred Design, ensuring users remain at the core of his design and development processes.
Dr Yves-Roland Douha
Yves-Roland Douha is a postdoctoral research associate at Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa), specialising in human-computer interaction and digital healthcare. His research focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to address critical public health challenges, particularly in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Research Interests
AI for autism (early detection, assistive technologies, and personalized interventions), deep learning and neural networks, Digital healthcare, Game-theoretic modeling, Internet-of-things (IoT) and human-centered cybersecurity.
Expertise and Public Engagement
Yves-Roland's work explores the intersection of AI and digital tools to enhance the diagnosis, intervention, and support for individuals with autism. His research contributes to the broader field of AI-driven healthcare solutions, aiming to improve accessibility and effectiveness in public health. Through academic collaborations and public engagement, he advocates for the integration of technology in addressing global health disparities.
Current Students
A. Khan
Degree Type:
PhD
Year Completed:
Ongoing
Title:
Complexities of choice in infant feeding practices- a critical analysis of policy, industry, and individual discourses
A. Gallan
Degree Type:
MA
Year Completed:
Ongoing
Title:
A spatial and qualitative analysis on food (in)security for caregivers of children with autism in rural Eastern Cape.
C. Maluleka
Degree Type:
MA
Year Completed:
Ongoing
Title:
The attitudes and knowledge of the South African population toward autism in rural areas
P. Evelyn
Degree Type:
MA
Year Completed:
45
Title:
The lived experiences of autistic adults as they transition from post-school education and training into employment in South Africa.
R. Moodley
Degree Type:
MA
Year Completed:
Ongoing
Title:
Exploring caregiver-implemented communication strategies with multilingual autistic children using echolalia.
L. Moholo
Degree Type:
MA
Year Completed:
Ongoing
Title:
Teachers' experience and perceptions using smartboards with autistic learners in a South African classroom