Thumbi Mwangi qualified as a veterinarian from the University of Nairobi and as an infectious disease epidemiologist from University of Edinburgh, before joining the Allen school to coordinate research and education activities in East Africa. Primarily based in East Africa, he leads a research group working on zoonoses and linkages between human and animal health. His research is focused on understanding the epidemiology of infectious diseases in animals and people in the tropics and designing programs that reduce their burden.