News

IDeAL Director appointed as Oxford Professor

Dr. Sam Kinyanjui, the Head of Training and Capacity building at KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) and Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders, IDeAL (IDeAL) Director has been appointed as an Associate Professor at Oxford University in England. In his position at the KWTRP which he has held since 2008, he leads one of the most productive research training pipelines. IDeAL focuses on attracting young Africans to research, through attachment and internships providing high-quality Masters and PhD training, supporting postdocs transitioning to independent research and nurturing emerging research leaders.

“Proud to be appointed an Oxford University Associate Professor. Particularly happy for the recognition of the research capacity building efforts I am involved in. I thank everyone who has contributed towards me getting the appointment and my wonderful Kemri-Wellcome team,” he stated.

To date, IDeAL has trained over 800 African researchers including over 260 interns, over 120 Masters students and 80 PhD students to completion, with 26 current Masters and 70 current PhD students. IDeAL trainees have collectively attracted funding worth over £15 million and generated over 700 peer-reviewed publications.

“I hope that Covid-19 is a wake-up call. Just like an army, you prepare it over time, you fund it even when there is no war. You set them ready and remind them every now and then of the possibility of the worst. The same logic should apply to research, you do not know when a pandemic like such could occur,” he further added.

In 2019, Kinyanjui was one of two scientists who were awarded medals by the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at the 2019 European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health.