Visiting KEMRI Scientist Awarded Leadership Grant

A young researcher who recently joined the Institute as a visiting scientist has received a highly competitive and prestigious grant for emerging research leaders. The scheme is funded by the UK Medical Research Council and her work will be on “Research to policy: Evidence synthesis for building a translation pipeline to eliminate infectious diseases.”

The MRC/DFID African Research Leader Scheme is a highly competitive and prestigious grant for emerging research leaders and we are very proud of her achievement,” said Dr. Simon Kariuki, the head of the Malaria Research Program at the Center for Global Health Research (CGHR). 

Dr. Kariuki who is also Dr. Ochodo’s mentor intimated that the four year project is a collaboration between the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Stellenbosch University in South Africa and KEMRI. It aims to formally develop an integrative approach to translating research evidence into policy through evidence synthesis and national adaptation of global guidelines. 

“This project will strengthen south-to-south research collaborations by building a Kenyan team dedicated to evidence synthesis and research translation linked to Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Evidence-based Health Care,” an excited Dr. Ochodo said and added, “the main focus will be evidence synthesis through systematic reviews and meta-analysis around high-burden infectious diseases (malaria, HIV and TB).”  

Dr. Ochodo will be working with Dr. Kariuki, Prof. Taryn Young from Stellenbosch University-South Africa, Prof. Paul Garner of LSTM-UK and Prof Feiko ter Kuile of LSTM-UK and Kenya. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Ochodo for this exemplary achievement.