William Gisesa was born at Botana in Nyamira County, located in the Gusii Highlands of South Western Kenya. He has a First-Class Honours degree in Education (Botany and Zoology) from the University of Nairobi, a Masters (M.Sc.) degree in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Ethnopharmacology from Kenyatta University. Dr. Gisesa's main research interest is in Ethnopharmacology - the cross-cultural study of plants, animals, fungi or other naturally occurring resources used as medicines by ethnic and cultural groups. The main focus of the field has been on discovering drugs based on the therapeutic use of plants by indigenous people. Beyond the medical impact, such studies reveal the importance of cultural and biological diversity and help with the conservation of cultural heritage. The author is also interested in the processing of natural products in these categories: 1. Nutraceuticals, e.g. value-added traditional foods, food flavourings, nutraceuticals, high-energy food drinks, etc.; 2. Phytomedicines/ Phytopharmaceuticals, e.g., Antimicrobials, Immune boosters, Anti-inflammatories, Pain killers, Laxatives, etc.; 3. Ethnoveterinary Products, e.g., Acaricides, Dewormers, Food Supplements, Cattle Licking Blocks, etc.; 4. Body Care Products, e.g., Herbal Soaps, Lotions, Perfumes, Shampoos, Mouth Washes, Toothpastes, etc.; 5. Household Care Products, e.g., Detergents, Antiseptics, etc.; and 6. Organic Farm Inputs, e.g., Biofertilizers, Biopesticides, etc. from biological resources.He has published widely in scholarly journals including the Journal of Plant Sciences, the Journal of Ethnomedicine, Journal of Ethnopharmacology. He is a co-author of Gusii Proverbs in Contextual Usage (in Press). Currently, he is the Principal Researcher at The Global Institute of Traditional Medicine and Biotechnology.
