Elizabeth Wangari Itotia (born ), is a nuclear pharmacist from Kenya. She is the first Kenyan woman to qualify as a nuclear pharmacist (also referred to as a ''radiopharmacist''). As of July 2021, she is one of only three similarly qualified people in that country, the others being male. She is currently employed as a member of the nuclear pharmacy team at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH).

Early life and education

Itotia was born in 1992, in Limuru, in present-day Kiambu County to a farming family. Itotia joined ''Loreto Kiambu Girls' High School'', where she scored a straight A in KCSE and was admitted to the

University of Nairobi , mottoeng = In unity and work , image = Uon emblem.gif , image_size = 210px , caption = Coat of Arms of the University , type = Public , endowment ...

to study

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...

. She graduated at the top of her class in 2017 (58th graduation valedictorian), with a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree. She was awarded a scholarship by the

International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 1957 ...

to pursue a master's degree. She was admitted to

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) is a university in Pretoria North, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Its current incarnation was formed on 1 January 2015. Previously it was known as ''Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA)' ...

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...

, South Africa, where she graduated in 2021 with a

Master of Pharmacy The Master of Sciences of Pharmacy (MPharm) is the standard master's degree program in Pharmacy. It is the oldest honorable Diploma (Degree) authorized from the European Faculties of Pharmacy as it takes five years to complete. It is based on a c ...

(MPharm) degree, specializing in

Nuclear Pharmacy Nuclear pharmacy, also known as radiopharmacy, involves preparation of radioactive materials for patient administration that will be used to diagnose and treat specific diseases in nuclear medicine. It generally involves the practice of combining ...

Career

After her first degree, Itotia joined Kenyatta University Hospital for the mandatory one-year supervised work period. While there, an opportunity arose for her to pursue higher studies on scholarship. She chose nuclear pharmacy because KUTRRH is increasingly attending to large numbers of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

patients, who require sophisticated diagnostic and treatment modalities in the

nuclear medicine Nuclear medicine or nucleology is a medical specialty involving the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Nuclear imaging, in a sense, is "radiology done inside out" because it records radiation emitting ...

and nuclear radiology arenas. After completing her master's degree, she returned to Kenyatta University Hospital, to practice what she had been taught. Itotia is a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya.

References

External links

Kenya's first female radiopharmaceutical scientist
As of 25 July 2021.
Meet The First Female Radiopharmaceutical Scientist in Kenya
As of 2 June 2021. {{DEFAULTSORT:Itotia, Elizabeth 1990s births Living people 21st-century pharmacists People from Kiambu County University of Nairobi alumni Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University alumni Kikuyu people 21st-century Kenyan women scientists 21st-century Kenyan scientists Women pharmacists

Early life and education

Career

See also

References

External links