Atleast 200 recent graduates from universities across Kenya gathered in Nairobi for a Health Research Career Open Day.
The young researchers convened at an event organized by the Africa Leadership for Measuring Brain Health in Children and Adolescents (ALMA), the Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders (IDeAL), and the Sub-Saharan Africa Advanced Consortium for Biostatistics (SSACAB).
The event was officially presided over by Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, Principal Secretary, State Department for Science, Research, and Innovation.
Prof Shaukat said that the pivotal event offers graduates a unique opportunity to connect with experienced Kenyan scientists and researchers to help them explore a wide range of career paths in health research.
“More than just an information session, the open day is a space for knowledge-sharing, mentorship, and relationship-building that can help graduates succeed in both local and international research environments.”
Attendees engaged in interactive sessions, panel discussions, and networking forums designed to inspire, inform, and prepare them for impactful careers.
The Open Day is part of a broader mission shared by ALMA, IDeAL, and SSACAB to build a critical mass of African health research leaders.
At the heart of this mission is the belief that achieving universal health coverage, and by extension, sustainable socio-economic growth in Africa, requires solutions developed by African scientists who deeply understand the region’s unique challenges.
Each of the three consortia is tackling the historic lack of robust research training programmes in Africa by offering highly competitive scholarships and fellowships supporting undergraduate and graduate internships, Master’s and PhD studies, and postdoctoral research.
What sets these programmes apart is the immersive training model, which places fellows in dynamic research environments at institutions like the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP), the Institute for Human Development (IHD), and other partner organizations.
This structure ensures access to world-class infrastructure, close mentorship from globally recognized scientists, and continuous development of both technical and soft skills.
The consortia also emphasize post-training support to help fellows successfully transition into long-term research and academic careers.
Since its founding in 2008 by Kemri Welcome Trust (KWTRP), IDeAL has trained over 1,000 students, including 132 PhD and over 200 Master’s graduates. Many alumni have gone on to lead critical local and global health initiatives, contribute to disease research, such as malaria, and influence major health policies, including those shaping responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. In its second phase, IDeAL 2.0 is expanding beyond East Africa through strategic partnerships with the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) and Epicentre in Niger. It also works closely with Pwani University and Strathmore University.
IDeAL draws on expertise from the University of Oxford and the University of Glasgow, giving fellows access to diverse research resources and mentorship.
“Through this open day, we aim to inspire young graduates to pursue careers in health research. With the right training and mentorship, they can make a profound impact in their communities and beyond,” said Professor Samson Kinyanjui, Director of IDeAL.
He added that, “Our frameworks, to attract, train, retain, and transform, are designed to build sustainable research capacity in Africa. We believe that empowering young minds today will lead to innovative solutions for the health challenges of tomorrow.”
ALMA is led by the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Human Development in Kenya.
The research training partnership brings together institutions such as the University of Cape Town, University of Zambia, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, University of Oxford, and the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
ALMA is focused on advancing child and adolescent brain health research in Africa. The consortium supports neuroscience training, with a strong emphasis on mentoring women scientists, sharing new knowledge, establishing centers of excellence, and ensuring that research translates into policy.
“Our initiative is committed to empowering the next generation of neuroscientists,” said Dr. Ronald Kipkurui, Postdoctoral Fellow at IHD and Co-Director of ALMA.
“We want to equip them with the skills needed to understand brain development, particularly during childhood and adolescence, and to identify and address developmental delays and disabilities. Events like today’s open day are critical for raising awareness and sparking interest in brain health research.”
While SSACAB, the Sub-Saharan Africa Advanced Consortium for Biostatistics, aims to strengthen statistical capacity to improve how data informs public health policies throughout Africa. SSACAB II connects African and international institutions to train MSc, PhD, and postdoctoral researchers. The consortium highlights mentoring, funding support, and the creation of biostatistical research centers of excellence. By utilizing open-access data from demographic and health surveillance systems, SSACAB is advancing biostatistics and promoting evidence-based health research across the region.
Together, ALMA, IDeAL, and SSACAB form part of the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training, and Science (DELTAS Africa Phase 2) initiative. DELTAS is supported by the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA), with funding from Wellcome Trust and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
