Sode Akoeugnigan Idelphonse

Idelphonse has a BSc degree in Environmental Sciences from the Université Nationale d’Agriculture (UNA) and worked on the impact of climate change on the spatial distribution of indigenous fruit trees (a case study of black tamarind) using Maximum Entropy Modelling and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). He also obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Fundamental Physics from the University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC). He undertook a Master of Science in Biostatistics from the University of Abomey-Calavi (With High Distinction), by assessing the performance of Maximum Entropy and Maximum Likelihood Algorithms for Species Distribution Models (SDMs) with Autocorrelated Presence-only Data.

Idelphonse worked for national and international research institutions and companies including the Regional Institute of Public Health (IRSP), West African Grains Network (ROAC), Foundation for Scientific Research (FORS), West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) and IT4LIFE, by carrying out various data-driven missions, including data management and analysis, development of mobile data collection applications and interactive data visualization tools and modeling of geospatial data for implementing public health, environmental and agricultural projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

He is currently a Quantum Leap Africa Ph.D. Student in Data Science, at the University of Abomey-Calavi, working on Bayesian Spatial Fusion Modelling framework for joint analysis of multivariate geospatial data with applications to environmental and epidemiological studies. His research interests include Biostatistics, Spatio-temporal Modelling, Ecological Modelling, Disease Mapping, Machine Learning, Remote Sensing, and Bayesian computing. Idelphonse enjoys reading, listening to music, watching science documentaries, and playing football.