Lucía Nadal

Lucía supports research implementation across multiple programs, including study design, fieldwork management, protocol development, data analysis, and results dissemination. Based in Kenya, one of her focal points is supporting USAID’s Urban Resilience by Building partnerships and Applying New evidence in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (URBAN WASH) program.

Lucía’s interest in WASH stems from her background in evolutionary biology, human adaptation, and data science. Her doctoral thesis focused on building and applying AI-based models to reevaluate key data gaps in the East Africa’s hominin fossil record. Prior to joining Aquaya, Lucía worked with the Turkana Basin Institute as a resident academic director for the Origins Field School in Kenya. Previously, she co-founded and served as the research and development lead for Tamalli, a nutrition project in Nairobi that explored street food as a market-based solution to urban stunting. 

Lucía holds a PhD in biological anthropology from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in biological anthropology from the University of Barcelona, and a BSc in biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.