Dr. Ing. Judith Leo

Dr. Ing. Judith Leo (Ph.D.) is Dean and Senior Lecturer in the School of Computational and Communication Science and Engineering (CoCSE) at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST). Dr. Leo is a Tanzanian engineer, data scientist, and a researcher member of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Research Theme, where she leads multidisciplinary research and capacity building in artificial intelligence (AI), data science, embedded systems, mobile technologies, and innovative hardware-based solutions for societal and industrial challenges.

Dr. Leo’s research interests include bioinformatics, healthcare data science, satellite imagery, IoT, embedded and mobile systems, climate change, smart agriculture, and environmental modeling. Her academic work is strongly rooted in healthcare applications, with a Master’s research on geo-enabled remote doctor consultation systems for epidemiological analysis in Tanzania, and a Ph.D. focusing on adaptive machine learning models for predicting cholera epidemics based on seasonal weather patterns. She has extensive experience working on multidisciplinary projects that integrate ICT with gender equality, inclusivity, policy formulation, leadership, and open data management across health, education, agriculture, renewable energy, and social sectors.

A passionate advocate for girls’ education and youth empowerment, Dr. Leo has dedicated much of her work to inspiring STEM and ICT participation among girls and young people, particularly in marginalized communities. She is the founder of Bintishule, an initiative focused on preventing school dropout and motivating girls to pursue STEM and innovation pathways. She also led the development of impactful tools such as the Early Warning Dropout Visualization Tool (EDV-Tool), currently used in schools in Tanzania to reduce dropout rates among adolescent girls, and the Maternal Money Funding (M2 Funding) system supporting maternal healthcare access. Dr. Leo is a recipient of numerous international scholarships and awards, including DAAD and Queen Elizabeth scholarships. She served as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in Residence (2024–2025) at Meharry Medical College, USA, where she contributed to teaching and research in Biomedical Data Science while continuing to champion AI-driven solutions for inclusive and sustainable development in Africa.