Laura Boykin Okalebo

Change Agent, Global soul, Scientist, Technologist, World traveler

Laura Boykin Okalebo is a leading figure in the Cassava Virus Action Project, a groundbreaking initiative that leverages genomics and supercomputing to combat cassava pathogens in East Africa. Through innovative approaches, the project focuses on rapid crop health diagnosis, community empowerment, and the prevention of virus transmission by whiteflies. Collaborating with government agencies and international partners, Laura's work encompasses research, training, and on-the-ground efforts to bolster agricultural sustainability and resilience in the region. Her contributions have garnered recognition for their significant impact on the intersection of genomics, agriculture, and community development.

Increasing food security in sub-Saharan Africa. Increasing equity in science. Increasing resources to scientists in developing countries.

Cassava is a poverty fighter. If small scale family farmers in East Africa have healthy cassava they can 1) Feed their families and 2) Generate income for necessities such as school fees and medical expenses. Whiteflies are killing cassava- we must control them - 800 million people rely on cassava for their daily calories. Farmers need our help.

Agriculture, Bioinformatics / Computational Biology, Crop health, Data analytics, Food security, Genomics, High-performance computing, Local community development, Phylogenetics, Public speaking, Scientific Writing, Smallholder farming, Supercomputing, Whiteflies

Becoming a TED Fellow in 2015 was the beginning of an amazing TED journey. It's an honor.

Growing orchids.