Christian Keambou Tiambo is a former Senior Lecturer of livestock breeding and production systems in various African universities, with in-depth expertise in local poultry. Currently a Scientist and Lead of the Cellular Resources, Functional Genomics and Biotechnology Programme at the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), he is advancing a transdisciplinary approach spanning local poultry production systems, health genetics, and biotechnology in Africa. Though trained in livestock production systems, breeding, and genetic improvement, his work spans ethnoveterinary knowledge, epidemiology, immunogenetics, and functional genomics to develop disease-resilient and climate-adapted poultry systems.
Spanning a continuum from village-level systems to advanced biotechnology, he has generated key insights into the epidemiology of Newcastle disease and the drivers of disease persistence in smallholder contexts. His research has contributed to a better understanding of disease resistance through immunogenetic studies, identifying key markers and mechanisms underlying immune response in low-input systems in Africa.
A defining feature of his work is the scientific validation of ethnoveterinary medicine, demonstrating the efficacy and safety of plant-based treatments, while linking nutrition, microbiome, and immunity to resilience outcomes. He now pioneers stem cell and functional genomic approaches, including PGC technologies, GWAS, biobanking, and genetic engineering to scale indigenous resilience into sustainable, high-impact local poultry production systems across Africa.
