Sarah Benki-Nugent, MS, PhD

Acting Assistant Professor, Global Health, University of Washington

 

Dr. Sarah Benki-Nugent, MS, PhD, received her PhD (Microbiology) and MS (Epidemiology) from the University of Washington. She has been involved in HIV research in Kenya since 2000. Her research objective is to define best practices for optimizing growth and development in children in resource poor settings, particularly children affected by HIV, malnutrition and environmental toxins. She is funded by an NIH/NINDS K01 Award to whether antiretroviral therapy, if provided during infancy, is sufficient to protect long-term neurodevelopment in HIV-infected children, and will evaluate mechanisms of neuropathogenesis in the context of early antiretroviral treatment. Her CFAR New Investigator Award project will evaluate neurocognitive outcomes in older long-term treated HIV-infected children. Her other projects involve piloting a low-cost, potentially scale-able approach for measuring infant motor, social and language skills in Kenya and determining exposure to environmental toxins in Kenyan children and subsequent impacts on their health and development.

Publications

  1. Sherris, AR, Edemba, PW, Riederer, AM, Adhiambo, J, Olweywe, L, Owiti, P et al.. Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and birth outcomes in a pregnancy cohort in Nairobi, Kenya. PLoS One. 2026;21 (5):e0347486. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0347486. PubMed PMID:42127093 PubMed Central PMC13170848.
  2. Onoh, I, Mugo, C, Riederer, A, Maleche-Obimbo, E, Were, FH, Loftus, C et al.. Adapting, piloting, and evaluating a pediatric lead screening and risk-reduction intervention in Nairobi: A hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial protocol. medRxiv. 2026; :. doi: 10.64898/2026.04.28.26351918. PubMed PMID:42094172 PubMed Central PMC13142560.
  3. Kipter, VK, Were, FH, Gatari, MJ, Zuidema, C, Seto, EYW, Stampfer, OD et al.. Indoor and outdoor fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide concentrations in homes of infants in Nairobi, Kenya. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2026;6 (4):e0006202. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0006202. PubMed PMID:41941505 PubMed Central PMC13052846.
  4. Karume, AK, King'e, M, Ndegwa, S, Gallagher, ER, Benki-Nugent, S, Ali, N et al.. Barrier and Strategy Prioritization for Ear and Hearing Care in Kenya. Pediatrics. 2026;157 (3):. doi: 10.1542/peds.2025-071137. PubMed PMID:41667060 .
  5. Willoughby, MT, Wylie, AJ, Mugala, H, Kamau, R, Collett, B, Begnel, E et al.. Early life trajectories of head circumference predict executive function and fluid cognitive skills at age 4 in Kenya. J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2025;16 :e45. doi: 10.1017/S2040174425100275. PubMed PMID:41403298 PubMed Central PMC12926735.
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