Dr. James Richard Otieno 😎

Dr. James Richard Otieno

Public Health Consultant | Bioinformatician | Genomic Epidemiologist

World Health Organization (WHO)

Professional Summary

James R. Otieno is a pathogen genomic epidemiologist and bioinformatician specializing in infectious disease surveillance, with leadership in strategic planning and coordination of global health programmes.

His work integrates pathogen genomics, epidemiology, and data science to strengthen genomic surveillance systems and support data-driven risk assessment, informing public health decision-making across local, regional, and global levels.

He is particularly committed to advancing genomic surveillance capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), leading the design and implementation of scalable bioinformatics and genomic epidemiology programmes that underpin outbreak response, laboratory systems, and sustainable public health infrastructure.

Education

Certificate in Global Health Project Management

2020

University of Washington (USA)

PhD

2019

The Open University (UK)

MSc Bioinformatics

2013

University of Leicester (UK)

Certificate in Leadership Development in Global Health

2012

University of Washington (USA)

BSc Biochemistry

2008

Moi University (Kenya)

Interests

Data-driven Risk Assessment and Public Health Decision Support Genomic Surveillance Systems and Epidemiological Analytics Capacity Strengthening for Genomic Surveillance in LMICs Pathogen Genomics and Virus Evolution Scalable Bioinformatics Pipelines (Cloud and HPC) Open and Reproducible Public Health Data Systems
Recent Publications

Note

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Lorenzo Subissi, James R. Otieno, Asma Abi Mohamed Shah, Laith Jamal Abu-Raddad, Anurag Agrawal, Amna Omair Al Mehairi, Ahmed Mohammed Albarraq, Amal Barakat, Ismail Mahat Bashir, Leon Caly, Meera Chand, Christian Drosten, Nuno R. Faria, Adeola Fowotade, Anne von Gottberg, Bart L. Haagmans, Baoying Huang, Jason Kindrachuk, Marion P. G. Koopmans, Bette Korber, Yee-Sin Leo, Placide Mbala-Kingebeni, Nada M. Melhem, Vincent J. Munster, Isaac Ngere, M. Kariuki Njenga, Tulio de Oliveira, Gustavo Palacios, Malik Peiris, Andrew Rambaut, Paola Resende, Senjuti Saha, Tadaki Suzuki, Pragya Yadav, Sophie von Dobschuetz, Esam I. Azhar, Maria D. Van Kerkhove (2026). Human MERS-CoV cases are falling but pose an ongoing pandemic threat. Nature Health.
DOI
Alice Matimba, Kirsty Lee Garson, Nidia S. Trovão, Siddiqah George, Yiqun Tony Li, Daniel Evans, Jorge Emmanuel Batista da Rocha, Heather M. Blankenship, James R. Otieno, Jolynne Mokaya, Tracey Calvert-Joshua, N Mulder (2026). Mapping the Landscape of Pathogen Genomics Training: A Structured Analysis of Training Provision within a Global Consortium Network. Frontiers in Public Health.
URL
World Health Organization (2026). Middle East respiratory syndrome: global summary and assessment of risk.
URL
World Health Organization (2025). Analytical considerations for genomic surveillance of mpox virus. World Health Organization.
URL
World Health Organization (2025). Strategic plan for coronavirus disease threat management: advancing integration, sustainability, and equity, 2025–2030.
URL
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Experience

Consultant Bioinformatician and Genomic Epidemiologist

World Health Organization (Geneva, Switzerland)

Genomic Epidemiologist (Contractor)

Theiagen Genomics (Highlands Ranch, CO, USA)

Genomic Epidemiologist

Theiagen Genomics (Highlands Ranch, CO, USA)

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA)

Postdoctoral Fellow

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, NY, USA)

Career Development Fellow

KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (Kilifi, Kenya)

Research Officer

KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (Kilifi, Kenya)

Intern

KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (Kilifi, Kenya)

Medical/Pharmaceutical Representative

Europa Healthcare Limited (Nairobi, Kenya)

Volunteer Teacher

Kuja Special Secondary School for the Deaf (Rongo, Kenya)

Education

Certificate in Global Health Project Management

University of Washington (USA)

PhD

The Open University (UK)

MSc Bioinformatics

University of Leicester (UK)

Certificate in Leadership Development in Global Health

University of Washington (USA)

BSc Biochemistry

Moi University (Kenya)