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OBITUARY / NECROLOGIE
 
JAMES KIMANI



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James K. Kimani, SONA Secretary-General and Professor of Human Anatomy at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, died of a heart attack on 14 September.

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EDUCATION

2004: Invited to submit published scholarly work and a Thesis to be considered for the award of a Doctor of Science (DSc) degree in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Nairobi.

Title of the Thesis: “Cardiovascular Adaptations to Orthostatic Stresses”.

1979: Awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree of the University of Nairobi.
1975-1979: Registered for a Doctor of Philosophy Degree by research and thesis.
1974-1975: Registered for Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Anatomy honours degree programme of the University of Nairobi.

Awarded BSc (Anatomy) First Class Honours.
1972-1974: Admitted to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Nairobi for MBChB degree course.
Passed First and Second year University Examinations subsequent to which I was invited to register for the Intercalated Bachelor of Science in Anatomy honours degree programme as the pioneer student.
1970-1971: Went to Kenyatta College for Higher School Certificate. Obtained three (3) Principal Passes and two (2) Subsidiary Passes in the EAACE Examination.
1966-969: Attended Komothai High School, Kiambu- Obtained Division I of 21 points in the O-Level Examination.
1959-965: Attended Gathugu Primary School in Kiambu, District.

POSITION

1998 to Present: MANAGING DIRECTOR-UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI ENTERPRISES AND SERVICES (UNES) LIMITED (Initially in an Acting Capacity- 1998-2000).

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Initiate and coordinate the development of corporate strategic planning and document formulation for consideration and approval by the Board of Directors.
  • Interpret and implement corporate strategies and action plans in accordance with the Vision, Mission and Core values of the Company.
  • Provide overall leadership and direction of the Company.
  • Identify and develop new business areas.
  • Establish and promote strategic linkages with both internal (University) and external key stakeholders.
  • Provide overall management and staff development.
  • Respond to Parliamentary questions as they arise.
  • Manage all financial and non-financial resources of the Company.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND POSITIONS HELD

UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

1991-Present: Professor of Human Anatomy.
Officially on leave of absence, but has continued to provide services to the Department of Human Anatomy on part-time basis.

1987 – 1991: Associate Professor of Human Anatomy.

1983 – 1987: Senior Lecturer, Department of Human Anatomy.

1983- 1987: Lecturer, Department of Human Anatomy.

1975- 1979: Tutorial Fellow, Department of Human Anatomy.

1983- 1991: Chairman, Department of Human Anatomy,

  • Started the Chiromo Funeral Parlour, which is handling between 300 and 400 bodies in a month at present.
  • The facility has been a major source of revenue to the Department apart from offering a much-needed service to the community.
  • Revitalized the BSc. (Anatomy) honour degree programme.

OTHER TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS:
2004: Senior Instructor in Gross Anatomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, for four (4) months (September to December).

1991- 1997: Instructor in Gross Anatomy, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, USA, for periods of four (4) months each year (September to December) except in 1992 and 1994. Voted as the best Teacher in Anatomy.

1995- 1997: Instructor in Gross Anatomy, College of Podiatry, Philadelphia, USA.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

2003-Present: Member-
Board of Governors, Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology.

2002-Present: Chairman
Alliance Girls High School PTA

2001-Present: Member-
Technical Committee on the Establishment of the Presbyterian University of East Africa.
1989-1991: Chairman-
Development Committee, Fairmile School for Children with learning disabilities.

1980-1984: Honorary Secretary-
University of Nairobi Cooperative Savings and Credit Society (CHUNA).

SCIENTIFIC WORK AND ACADEMIC AWARDS

MAJOR RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

  • For quite some time, and arising from my Doctoral research work, my main research thrust has been on the structural adaptations of the cardiovascular system to haemodynamic and gravitational stresses.
  • We have applied a modified glyoxylic acid histofluorescence technique in studying the innervation of the blood vessels of the giraffe.
  • Our studies on the giraffe blood vessels have also been extended to include experimental hypertension using DOCA-salt (deoxycorticosterone acetate) induced hypertension in a rabbit model.
  • Our studies have also considered the histomorphology of elastic tissue and the role of elastin in sensory mechanoreceptor systems.

ACADEMIC AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

1991: Spent part of my sabbatical leave at Dalton’s Research Laboratory, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. Undertook studies on endothelial derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in normal porcine arterial segments. The study was extended to include changes in the contractile responses of lingual, cerebral and renal vessels from animals conditioned to exercises.

1986: Awarded a DAAD Fellowship tenable at the Medical University of Lubek, Germany. Undertook studies on the fine structure of the carotid sinus of the rock hyrax.

1985: Visited Dalton Research Centre, University of Missouri, Columbia, as an Exchange Research Visitor under the sponsorship of University of Missouri and Washington State University, Seattle. During this visit, I conducted experiments on adrenergic innervation of normal and collateralised dog hearts after repeated 2-minute occlusions of the left circumflex artery.
1982: Awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for Senior African Scientists tenable at Johns Hopkins, Medical School, Baltimore, USA, to undertake a study on the growth and development of adrenergic innervation of blood vessels from selected mammalian species.

Developed a simple technique based on the glyoxylic method for the study of the innervation of blood vessels of large animals such as the giraffe.

1978: Awarded an Inter University Council staff development scholarship tenable at the University College, London to undertake studies on histochemical techniques for the demonstration of catecholamines in blood vessels.

1976: Supported by the Ministry of Health, Government of Kenya, to University College, London to undertake literature review for my PhD work.

SUPERVISION OF POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS

Walji, A.H.- Ph.D.
Project on: « Structural and functional organisation of capsules and ligaments of the hip and knee joints in the vervet monkey and olive baboon.

MEMBERSHIP TO PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

1995-Present- CIBA Foundation based in London, as Local Representative.

1985-1991: Founder Secretary-General- Society of Neuroscientists of Africa (SONA)

  • Organized regional training workshops in neurosciences (1987-1990) and the First SONA International Conference in Nairobi in 1993, which were attended by prominent local and international scientists under the sponsorship of UNESCO in conjunction with the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO).
  • Attended the IBRO Governing Council Meetings as the African Representative.

1985-Present: Member- International Brain Research Organization (IBRO).


PUBLICATIONS

  1. KIMANI, J.K. 1977. The carotid sinus baroreceptor equivalent in the Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). E.Afr.J.Med.Res., 4:135-139.
  2. KIMANI, J.K., 1978. The findings on human evolution as based on the fossil evidence from East Africa. The Nairobi J. Med., 10: 7-11.
  3. KIMANI, J.K., 1979. Some aspects of the structural organisation of the carotid arterial system of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) with special reference to the carotid sinus baroreceptor equivalent Ph.D. Thesis, University of Nairobi, pp.417.
  4. KIMANI, J.K., 1981. Morphological evidence of two cell types in the tunica intima of the carotid arteries of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Medicom, 3: 13-15.
  5. KIMANI, J.K., 1981. Structural evidence for insertion of collagen fibres to smooth muscle cells in the carotid arteries of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Cell tissue Res., 214: 219 – 224.
  6. KIMANI, J.K., 1981. Basal endothelial attachment in the carotid arterial system of the giraffe, (Giraffa camelopardalis. Medicom, 3(2): 37 – 39.
  7. KIMANI, J.K. 1981. Subendothelial fibrillar laminae in the carotid arteries of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Cell and Tissue Res., 219: 441 -443.
  8. KIMANI, J.K. and MUNGAI, J.M., 1983. Observations on the structure and innovation of the presumptive carotid sinus area in the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Acta Anatomica, 115:117 – 133.
  9. KIMANI, J.K., 1983. The structural organization of the carotid arterial system of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Afr. J. Ecol. 21: 317 – 324.
  10. KIMANI, J.K., 1983. The structural organization of the tunica intima in the carotid artery of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Afri. J. Ecol. 21:309-315.
  11. KIMANI, J.K. 1983. Some histological aspects of the palmar digital pads in the vervet monkey. Folia Primatol. 41:147 – 155.
  12. KIMANI, J.K., 1984. The structural organization of the connective tissue foot with reference to the histomorphology of the elastic Acta Morphol. Neerl.-Scand. 22:313-323.
  13. KIMANI, J.K., 1984. Adrenergic innervation of the tunica media in the saphenous artery of the fetal and newborn guinea pig. Cell and Tissue Res., 237: 383 – 385.
  14. KIMANI, J.K., 1984. The structure and innervation of the carotid sinus area in the vervet monkey (Cercopithecus pygerythrus aethiops). Intern. J. Primatol., 5(4): 352.
  15. KIMANI, J.K., NJOROGE, S. and WAUI, A.H., 1984. Organization and distribution of elastic fibres in the dura mater of a few selected non-¬human primates. Intern. J. Primatol., 5(4): 454.
  16. KIMANI, J.K., WALJI, A.H., 1984. Microscopic organisation of the lateral costotransverse ligaments in the vervet monkey (Cercopithecus pygerythrus aethiops). Intern. J. Primatol., 5(4) 353.
  17. KIMANI, J.K. and OWINO, E.A., 1984. Focal intimal thickening in the aorta of some selected primates and its significance in atherosclerosis. The Nairobi Journal of Medicine, 11: 5-11.
  18. WALJI, A.H. and KIMANI, J.K., 1984. Observations on the cervical vertebral artery. Intern. J. Primatol., 5(4) 391 (Abstract).
  19. KIMANI, J.K., 1986. Histological organization of the digital touch pads in the vervet monkey and olive baboon. Primate report. 14:174 (abstract).
  20. KIMANI, J.K., 1987. The structural organization of the vertebral artery in the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Anatomical Record. 217: 256-262.
  21. KIMANI, J.K. ,WALJI, A.H., and MUNGAI, J.M., 1987. Segmental variations in the elastic fibre content in the lateral costotransverse ligament of the vervet monkey (Cercopithecus pygerythrus aethiops). Anatomical Record., 219: 152-156.
  22. KIMANI, J.K., 1987. Observation on the structure and innervation of the carotid sinus complex in the African porcupine (Hystrix cristata). J. Zool., (Lond.), 213: 569-590.
  23. Kimani, J.K. 1990: Manual on Microscopic Anatomy. University of Nairobi Press (1990).
  24. KIMANI, J.K., 1990. Histophysiology of the cardiovascular system in the giraffe. A selection of projects. Rolex Awards, 1990, p 41.
  25. KIMANI, J.K., 1990. Neuroscience in Africa. IBRO News. Volume 8 (2):1
  26. KIMANI, J.K., and I.O. OPOLE, 1991. The structural organisation and adrenergic innervation of the carotid arterial system of the Giraffe. Anat. Rec. 230: 360-377.
  27. KIMANI, J.K., I.O. OPOLE, and J.A. OGENG’O, 1991. Structure and sympathetic innervation of the intracranial arteries in the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). J. Morphol., 208: 193-203.
  28. KIMANI, J.K., R.N. MBUVA and R.M., KINYAMU 1991. Sympathetic innervation of the hind-limb arterial system in the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Anat. Rec., 229: 103-108.
  29. KIMANI, J.K. 1992. Microscopic structure and innervation of the carotid baroreceptor region in the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis). J. Morphol. 212:201-211.
  30. KIMANI, J.K., 1992. A tall story: Prevention of oedema and fainting in the giraffe. Inaugural Lecture given on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Nairobi.
  31. KIMANI, J.K., 1993: Structural linkage between collagen and elastic fibres in the mammalian carotid sinus wall with special reference to baroreceptor mechanisms. Discovery and Innovation, 5:51-56.
  32. KIMANI, J.K., 1995. Elastin and mechanoreceptor mechanisms with special reference to the mammalian carotid sinus. The Molecular Biology and Pathology of elastic tissues. Wiley, Chichester (Ciba Foundation Symposium 192) p 215-236.
  33. MCALLISTER, R.M., KIMANI, J.K., WEBSTER, J.L., PARKER, J. L., and LAUGHLIN, M.H., 1996. Effect of exercise training on responses of peripheral and visceral arteries in swine. J. Appl. Physiol., 80:216-225.
  34. OGENG’O J.A, COHEN, D.L., SAYI, J.G., MATUJA, W.B., CHANDE, H.M., KITINYA, J.N., KIMANI, J.K., FRIEDLAND, R.P., MORI, H. AND KALARIA, R.N. (1996). Cerebral amyloid protein deposits and other Alzheimer lesions in non-demented elderly East Africans. Brain Pathology 6:101-108.
  35. KALARIA, R.N., OGENG’O J.A., PATEL, N.B., SAYI, J.G., KITINYA J.N., CHANDE, H,M., MATUJA, W.B., MTUI, E.P., KIMANI, J.K., PREM KUMAR, D.R.D, KOSS, E., GATERE, S., and FRIEDLAND, R.P., 1997. Evaluation of risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease in elderly East Africans. Brain Research Bulletin. 44:573-577.

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