​

Annual Early-Career Health Researchers’ Symposium

Advancing Equity through Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Health Education Research​

​November 23, 2024 | 8:00am - 5:00pm

Enaki Trademark Suites, Nairobi & Online​

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The 2024 edition will explore the transformative potential of AI to bridge gaps and create more equitable healthcare systems and educational environments. This theme addresses the pressing need to ensure that AI technologies are developed and implemented in ways that promote fairness, accessibility, and inclusivity.

Key Areas of Focus:

  • AI-Driven Healthcare Solutions

  • Ethical AI Development:

  • Inclusive Health Education

  • Community Engagement and Collaboration

  • Policy and Regulation:


The symposium provides early career researchers with a platform to showcase their work, receive feedback, network with their peers and senior researchers from other academic and research institutions. 

Presenters whose abstracts have been accepted shall have a chance to share their research work by way of Oral or Poster presentations. 

Prizes will be awarded to the items adjudged as the best during the symposium.​​​​​​



​Keynote Speakers

Dr Agnes Kiragga 

Dr Agnes Kiragga is a Research Scientist and leads the Data Science Program at the African Population Health Research Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Kiragga holds a PhD in Biostatistics from Makerere University, a post-doctoral fellowship in biostatistics from the John Hopkins University School of Medicine. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in research while utilizing diverse data, including longitudinal population cohorts in Africa. 

She leads the INSPIRE network and spearheads data management and analytics cores for multi-country research projects. Her work aims to apply data science tools to longitudinal data generated in Africa and enhance pandemic preparedness in the region. Dr. Kiragga is a strong advocate of building capacity in data sharing and governance, data harmonization, and the application of Artificial Intelligence for effective decision-making in public health and livelihoods in Africa


Dr Michael Mwachiro

Dr Michael Mwachiro is a Consultant General Surgeon and Interventional Endoscopist based at Avenue HealthCare in Nairobi, Kenya. He is also the Vice President of the Surgical Society of Kenya and Chair of the Education and Research committee for the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA). Dr Mwachiro is also a Co-Chair of the African Organization for Research and Training (AORTIC) Education and Training committee. He is a founder member of the African Esophageal Cancer Consortium (AfrECC) and The AFrECC Foundation. 

He is an alumnus of the African Cancer Leaders Institute (ACLI) and the FOGARTY UCSF Glocal Fellowship program. He is actively involved in mentoring upcoming researchers through the African Cancer STARs Program - The Strategic Training Achievements for Research Success as well as the UCSF CHESA - The Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia Fellowship program. His research interests are focused on Gastrointestinal malignancies with an emphasis on esophageal cancer. He carried out the first screening study for esophageal cancer in Africa using Lugol’s Chromoendoscopy in collaboration with the US National Cancer Institute and Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya. 

His other research interests are on surgical education, and he has previously served as former program director for the Tenwek Hospital PAACS/COSECSA General Surgery program and the Tenwek Endoscopy Research Fellowship program. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and an Associate Member of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators as well as a COSECSA master trainer. He is engaged in endoscopy training in both basic and advanced techniques in the region. Dr Mwachiro has published widely on esophageal cancer palliation, early detection and treatment and is also an author of a book – Reflections on Mentorship. He is the Deputy editor of the East and Central African Journal of Surgery, Assistant editor for the Annals of African Surgery, International editorial board for Gastrointestinal endoscopy and Editorial board for SURGERY Journal.

 

Symposium Judges

Dr Timothy Abuya 

Dr. Abuya has 15 years of research experience working in health system and policy research in developing country settings. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Health Policy from the Open University, UK; a bachelor’s degree in education (Botany/Zoology) from Kenyatta University, Kenya.

He is currently a Senior Analyst at the Population Council - Kenya. His expertise is in program evaluation with an interest in implementation research and evaluation of public health interventions using mixed methods and policy analysis techniques as well as human-centered designs.  Dr. Abuya is a widely published researcher with over 83 published articles. His research activities focus on improving access to public health interventions and use of evidence to benefit communities and policy makers.  


Dr Evelyn Gitau 

Dr Evelyn Gitau is the Chief Scientific Officer at the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) where she provides strategic leadership and vision for the organization’s science portfolio. Dr. Gitau holds a PhD in Life Sciences from the Open University/Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom, a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences from Barry University – USA and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Biology from Mayville State University – USA.

Dr. Gitau is a seasoned scientist with over 20 years of experience in biomedical research, programme management, grants management, fundraising, strategy, policy, monitoring, learning and evaluation. She is harnessing this experience and her interdisciplinary expertise in impact evaluation, implementation research, cellular immunology, molecular biology and infectious diseases, to lead at the SFA Foundation in designing, managing and mobilizing funding for the science and innovation programmes being delivered across the African continent. 

Prior to this role, Dr. Gitau served as the Director of Programmes at the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC). She has received numerous awards, including recognition as the Next Einstein Forum Fellow for the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences. She sits on the advisory board of several organization’s advancing Africa’s science and evidence generation agenda. She is committed to mentoring and supervising researchers, believing that the next generation of research leaders in Africa must be at the forefront of the continent’s development agenda, to shape decision-making and policy with evidence.


Dr. Damazo Kadengye

 Dr. Damazo T. Kadengye (Ph.D) is a Statistician and Epidemiologist with over 17 years of research and practice in Public Health and Educational Sciences. Presently, Dr. Damazo serves as a Research Scientist and Head of Data, Measurement and Evaluation with the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC). He is a 2017 Impact Evaluation Fellow of the East Africa Social Science Translation (EASST) Collaborative and a member of the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA).

Dr. Damazo holds a Doctorate in applied statistics from the University of Leuven in Belgium, a Master of Biostatistics from Hasselt University. He leads several research projects focusing on data, measurement and evaluations in the areas of HIV/AIDS, women's health, adolescent health, intimate partner violence and educational sciences

Previously, Dr. Damazo served as a senior lecturer of biostatistics and epidemiology at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda; and also, as a lecturer of statistical methods at Makerere University, Uganda; and as an epidemiologist with U.S. Cente for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) in Uganda Centre’s for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He has led several funded research projects and published in HIV/AIDS, women's health, adolescent health and educational sciences.