Judith Nantongo specializes in agroforestry, with a strong interest in conservation and the molecular structure of organisms and their susceptibility to different ecological phenomena.

She has conducted in-depth research on several tree species in Africa, including Albizia gummifera and Polyscias fulva, working particularly in her own country, Uganda. She has also worked as a research assistant as part of the FOREAIM project at Makerere University, which seeks to sustainably restore degraded tropical forests by developing tools, technologies and recommendations for farmers, policy makers and other stakeholders.

Judith was awarded a two-year fellowship with Bioversity International, during which she conducted research contributing to a bigger project that aimed at designing strategies for better conservation of Prunus africana - a medicinal evergreen tree native to the mountainous regions of Sub-Saharan Africa and several islands such as Sao Tome and Madagascar. Her fellowship was split into one year of field work in the Mabira Forest Reserve in Uganda, and one year of lab work at the Federal Office and Research Centre for Forests (BFW) in Vienna, Austria. The final aim of the project was to establish a clonal archive on Prunus africana in Uganda, through plant material and seed collection, mapping of adult trees, genotyping, and identification of suitable clones for breeding and domestication of the species. Unfortunately, due to “difficulties experienced in establishing cuttings from mature forest trees”, the clonal archive has yet to be completed. Judith’s research however, contributed an extensive platform for students to continue research and work on the species continues today.

Judith is currently a Junior Professional Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy. Publications on her research on Prunus africana will be available shortly.