Anna Okello

Dr. Anna Okello is Director of the CGIAR Food Frontiers and Security Program.

Dr. Okello is passionate about tackling global food and nutrition challenges through innovative, locally-led research approaches. Dr. Okello brings more than 20 years of international research and development experience to the position, commencing her career as a veterinarian in the international aid sector.

Prior to joining CGIAR, Dr. Okello spent eight years as a research program manager at the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and has also held advisory and management roles at the Australian Department of Agriculture, the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, the University of Edinburgh, the World Health Organization, and international non-governmental organizations. She co-chaired the Food Systems Working Group for the Lancet One Health Commission and is an adjunct teaching fellow at the University of Edinburgh Medical School. Dr. Okello holds a PhD in political science from the University of Edinburgh and remains a strong advocate for the role of policy process analysis and systems thinking to achieve global research for development impacts.