Research Interests
Project Implementation
2023– 2026: Project Lead (PI, Gulu University) of Norwegian Research Council funded project, “ECOFOOD: Creating Inclusive and Sustainable Food Systems in Refugee Hosting Contexts in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).” Partners include RURALIS- Institute for rural and regional research (Norway), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) -Tanzania, and Gulu University.
2022 – 2023: Project Lead (Coordinator, Gulu University) of a 50, 000 USD pilot project, “Application of millet-sesame-soy-OFSP composite to address chronic and micronutrient malnutrition among children in the first 1000 days of life,” funded by Response Innovation Lab & Save the Children under the Local Innovations for Nutrition Solution (LINS) project.
2022- 2026: Project Lead (PI, Gulu University) “Partnership for Education in Refugee-Host Contexts: Joint learning towards food security and sustainable development in Uganda,” funded by Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (DIKU), Norway. Partners include: Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Makerere University, Center for African Research and Gulu University.
2021- 2026: Team Member in the 1.3-million Euro EU funded project, “Mobility to Train Agribusiness and Food Systems Scientists for African Agriculture (TAFSA),” funded by European Union’s Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Programme and involving 5 African Universities.
Publications
Kolliesuah, N.P., Olum, S. & Ongeng, D. Status of household dietary diversity and associated factors among rural and urban households of Northern Uganda. BMC Nutr 9, 83 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-023-00739-4
Aparo, N. O., Olum, S., Atimango, A. O., Odongo, W., Aloka, B., Ongeng, D., … & De Steur, H. (2023). Farmers’ Intention to Adopt Agronomic Biofortification: The Case of Iodine Biofortified Vegetables in Uganda. Horticulturae, 9(3), 401.
https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030401
Adoko, M. C., Olum, S., Elolu, S., & Ongeng, D. (2023). Addition of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato and Iron-Rich Beans Improves Sensory, Nutritional and Physical Properties but Reduces Microbial Shelf Life of Cassava-Based Pancake (Kabalagala) Designed for Children 2-5 Years Old. Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, 21(2), 173-197.
Olum, S., Gellynck, X., Wesana, J., Odongo, W., Aparo, N. O., Aloka, B., … & De Steur, H. (2021). Economic feasibility of iodine agronomic biofortification: a projective analysis with Ugandan vegetable farmers. Sustainability, 13(19), 10608.
Olum, S., Wesana, J., Mawadri, J., Nakiranda, J. K., & Odongo, W. (2021). Insects as food: Illuminating the food neophobia and socio-cultural dynamics of insect consumption in Uganda. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, 41, 1-10.
Dirac, M. A., Safiri, S., Tsoi, D., Adedoyin, R. A., Afshin, A., Akhlaghi, N., …Olum, S.,.. & Naghavi, M. (2020). The global, regional, and national burden of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 5(6), 561-581.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(19)30408-X
Olum, S., Gellynck, X., Juvinal, J., Ongeng, D., & De Steur, H. (2020). Farmers’ adoption of agricultural innovations: A systematic review on willingness to pay studies. Outlook on Agriculture, 49(3), 187-203.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0030727019879453
Olum, S., Wesana, J., Odongo, W., Mogendi, J., Okello, C., Webale, D., … & De Steur, H. (2020). Agronomic biofortification from a stakeholder’s viewpoint: evidence from studies on iodine‐enriched foods in Uganda. In Vitamins and minerals biofortification of edible plants, 163-189.
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119511144.ch8
Burstein, R., Henry, N. J., Collison, M. L., Marczak, L. B., Sligar, A., Watson, S., Olum, S., … & Filip, I. (2019). Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017. Nature, 574(7778), 353-358.
Frank, T. D., Carter, A., Jahagirdar, D., Biehl, M. H., Douwes-Schultz, D., Larson, S. L., Olum, S., … & Hosseinzadeh, M. (2019). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and mortality of HIV, 1980–2017, and forecasts to 2030, for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017. The lancet HIV, 6(12), e831-e859.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3018(19)30196-1
Olum, S., Ongeng, D., Tumuhimbise, G. A., Hennessy, M. J., Okello-Uma, I., & Taylor, D. (2018). Understanding intra-community disparity in food and nutrition security in a generally food insecure part of eastern Africa. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 18(2), 13317-13337.
https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.82.17150
Olum, S., Okello-Uma, I., Tumuhimbise, G. A., Taylor, D., & Ongeng, D. (2017). The Relationship between Cultural Norms and Food Security in the Karamoja Sub-Region of Uganda. Journal of Food and Nutrition Research, 5(6), 427-435
Nihimbazwe, O., Tuyizere, J. D., Olum, S., & Ongeng, D. Trends in iodine nutrition in Uganda since the inception of the Universal Salt Iodization programme. RUFORUM Working Document Series (ISSN 1607-9345), 2021, No. 19 (1):511-517.
http://repository.ruforum.org