Hellen Shikanda

Hellen Shikanda is an award-winning Kenyan multimedia journalist and science communications trainer with over six years of experience specializing in the intersection of health, environment and climate change. Currently a reporter with the Nation Media Group, she has established herself as a leading voice in translating complex scientific data into impactful human-interest narratives. In 2024, Hellen became the first journalist from an African-based media organization to receive the American Association for Cancer Research June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism. Her journalistic work has been further recognized by the Media Council of Kenya and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), getting awards for both health and climate reporting. She was a finalist in the Emerging Journalists of the Year category for Covering Climate Now awards. Her expertise is backed by a robust fellowship record, including the United Nations’ Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship; the Oxford Climate Journalism Network; Climate Tracker COP27 Fellowship; Internews Health Journalism Network reporting fellowship for COP28; the National Press Foundation Rare Disease Reporting Fellowship; and the Women in News fellowship. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and journalism from Moi University and postgraduate training in multimedia journalism from the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications as part of the Nation Media Lab training.