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Next Einstein Forum awards fellowship to six Nigerian scientists

05 Aug 2019, 07:00 pm
Financial Nigeria
Next Einstein Forum awards fellowship to six Nigerian scientists

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The six Nigerians are Dr. Ademola Adenle, Dr. Blessing Mbabie, Dr. Daniel Akinyele, Dr. Ebele R. I. Mogo, Dr. Eucharia Oluchi Nwaichi and Dr. Obidimma Ezezika.

Photo Credit Quartz

The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) has unveiled the list of its 2019-2021 NEF Fellows. Among the 25 scientists below the age of 42 years are six Nigerians, namely Dr. Ademola Adenle, Dr. Blessing Mbabie, Dr. Daniel Akinyele, Dr. Ebele R. I. Mogo, Dr. Eucharia Oluchi Nwaichi and Dr. Obidimma Ezezika.

Launched in 2013 by the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and the Robert Bosch Stiftung, NEF’s fellowship programme is for scientists whose research and innovations are contributing to solve Africa’s and the world’s most pressing challenges. The NEF is a platform that connects science, society and policy in Africa with the rest of the world – with the goal of leveraging science for human development.

“I am excited to announce the 3rd class of NEF Fellows for two reasons,” said Thierry Zomahoun, Founder and Chair of NEF. “The first is that we are almost at parity, with 11 women in this class. The second is the variety of fields and countries where these Fellows come from. The selected Fellows are doing security, precision medicine, health systems, climate science and urban planning.”

Adenle’s research in science and technology policy is addressing sustainable development challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, energy and health innovation in Africa. Akinyele’s work is unveiling deeper insights into planning, developing and managing of new electrification systems for energy-poor communities, using the social-technical-economic-environmental-policy. Meanwhile, Ezezika’s research aims to contribute to the development of new industrial models for scaling health interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The 2019-2021 NEF Fellows will present their research and be awarded at the NEF Global Gathering in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 10, 2020.

According to a statement released by the NEF on Monday, NEF Fellows are selected by an International Scientific Programme Committee through a rigorous process that comprises academic and scientific merit, a strong publication record, patents, awards and a track record of funds independently raised for research.

Mbabie’s research focuses on the real-time status of antimicrobial resistance and social factors that drive it, discovering natural drugs with high potential inhibitors of antimicrobial mechanism. Mogo’s research aims to transform the societal system that recognizes African contextual realities when designing healthy communities and preventing non-communicable diseases. Nwaichi leads research, which aims to find sustainable and safe sanitation strategies for the remediation of petroleum-impacted environments in the Niger Delta.

"We are tremendously pleased to welcome the new class to the growing NEF Community of Scientists, and the thirty-five Fellows that preceded this cohort," said Youssef Travaly, Vice President of Science, Innovation and Partnerships at AIMS. "This Class was selected in record timing because of the quality of their profiles and we look forward to their contributions to our foresight work and public engagement programs like the Africa Science Week."


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