Dr. Nelson Alusala holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from the University of Pretoria; Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of Nairobi (Kenya); and Bachelor of Arts in French and Secretarial from Kenyatta University (Kenya).

Dr. Alusala is currently one of six experts mandated to monitor the UN Sanctions Regime in the Democratic Republic of Congo where he is in charge of natural resource and finance cluster. He has previously served in the same capacity in the UN Panel on Liberia, under the UN Security Council Resolutions 1819 (2008) on Liberia; followed by three consecutive appoints to the DRC under UN Security Council 1952, 2021, and 2078.

Dr. Alusala has also served in various capacities as a consultant for the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in South Sudan; for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on arms control initiatives in Africa, and for Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) on border security and trafficking in the Great Lakes region among others.

His current research is on security and transboundary governance, with a focus on the impact of regulatory instruments on the governance of natural resources exploitation and the wellbeing of local communities in Africa. He is also engaged in conflict risk analysis, disarmament and the promotion of practical policy formulation and implementation. He has published numerous reports, monographs, and policy briefs.

He is a member of the Wellbeing Economy in Africa (WE-Africa Lab) Action-research Network as well as a member of the African Borderlands Research Network (ABORNE). Dr. Alusala is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Centre for Governance Innovation (GovInn).