Joy Luzingu

Joy Luzingu is a fourth-year PhD student in Epidemiology at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, working in Dr. Kacey Ernst’s lab. He arrived in the US in 2017 under the Fulbright program to pursue a Master of Public Health in One Health at the University of Arizona, followed by a Master of Science in Epidemiology at the same institution. During the first two years of his PhD program, he completed a graduate certificate program in Geographic Information Science (GIS). Prior to his studies in public health, he attended medical school, earned a Medical Degree, and worked as a Medical Doctor in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where he was involved in clinical settings and public health research projects. His doctoral research focuses on evaluating the Kidenga app, a mobile application for monitoring mosquito-borne diseases and providing educational information, as well as incorporating companion animal messaging within the WeHealth Notify app. The latter leverages cutting-edge technology to deliver public health and weather alerts nationwide. His research topics explore the complex interactions between environmental change, extreme weather events, human and animal health, vector-borne diseases, and emerging infectious diseases.