Racheal Aye

Research area: Identifying and characterizing molecules involved in the interaction between Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. Mycoides, the cause of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), and target bovine cells.

Racheal Aye is a young woman who is eager to make a difference in the lives of smallholder farmers in Uganda by eliminating their livestock losses. As the lastborn of six children, Aye grew up in a family that modeled compassion and generosity. Her father, a retired Anglican bishop, along with her mother, a homemaker, routinely took in children from less fortunate families.

Aye knew early on that she wanted to pursue a career in the sciences. After completing a bachelor’s degree in veterinary sciences, she went on to take a master’s degree in food safety at North Dakota State University. “I thought about medical school, but decided instead to go into veterinary medicine, even though in Uganda this is not considered a prestigious career,” she says.

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