Lina Akinyi

Lina Akinyi is a young scientist from Kenya, currently pursuing a DPhil in Molecular and Cellular Medicine at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford. She is a Kennedy Institute Studentship Scholar and a member of Reuben College. Lina is passionate about immunology and immune-mediated diseases, with a strong commitment to advancing health outcomes in resource-limited settings.

She holds a BSc in Biotechnology with First Class Honours from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). She later received a competitive studentship from the Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders (IDeAL) to pursue an MSc in Immunology at Pwani University. Lina conducted her MSc research at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, where she studied how chronic inflammation affects growth in children recovering from complicated severe malnutrition. Her work has been recognised nationally and internationally: she was named the overall winner of the Young Scientist Rising Star Award at the 2025 KEMRI Annual Scientific and Health Conference and received a travel award from Danone Nutricia Campus to present her findings at the 12^th International Conference on Nutrition and Growth in Athens, Greece. Lina also has training in project management and monitoring and evaluation.

At Oxford, Lina looks forward to deepening her understanding of inflammatory bowel disease and exploring how this knowledge can inform the development of effective therapeutics. She aims to combine rigorous scientific research with African-led solutions to address pressing health challenges across the continent.