Institutions need to set up awards or incentives for young researchers to encourage them to contribute to impactful research.
The call was made during the 3rd Annual Early-Career Health Researchers’ Symposium organised by the Aga Khan University (AKU) under the theme, “Research Culture: Mentoring the Next Generation of Researchers.”
During his keynote address, Prof Dalton Wamalwa, Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Nairobi urged participants to develop interest in research and to take up training so as to build local and international partnerships.
“Networking for budding researchers is pivotal in building and strengthening relationships with highly experienced researchers in both the academia and industry,” he said, “this, in the long-run, will provide them with a competitive edge.”
The symposium brought together over 100 early-career health scientists aimed at providing them with a platform to showcase their work, receive feedback, network with their peers and senior researchers from other academic and research institutions.
Dr Sikolia Wanyonyi, Assistant Professor and Consultant, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Fetal Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi emphasized on the need for researchers to share their work with their peers and the general public.
“We work on society’s biggest health problems and the research that we do is meant to directly serve the public interest. By sharing our research work with our peers and the wider community, new connections and new ideas emerge that could inspire new innovations,” said Dr Wanyonyi.
The symposium, in its third year of existence, received a record of 83 abstracts from AKU, various institutions of higher learning and research institutions across the East African region.
Prof William Macharia, AKU’s Associate Dean, Research highlighted the need for Academic Medical Centers that host universities to distinguish themselves from non-academic tertiary referral hospitals by the new knowledge they generate to inform national health policies and practices.
Dr David Atandi and Dr Mariah Obino, both from AKU, emerged as the overall winner and runners-up respectively during the oral presentation. Dr Victor Moses Musyoka from the University of Nairobi emerged as the overall winner during the poster presentation with Dr Karisma Sharma from AKU taking the runners-up position.
