Virtual Networking Exchange
30th of April 2025
AFRE Health
African Bioinformatics Institute
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
The African Bioinformatics Institute is being established as a network of institutions across the continent doing high quality bioinformatics research, providing African databases and resources, offering bioinformatics support and providing continent-wide bioinformatics training and capacity development. The ABI needs to create partnerships with its different stakeholders to ensure that it serves their needs. This includes partnerships with members, customers, cloud providers, internet providers and many others.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
The ABI is just being established and would like to see how it can interact with and serve members of the DS-I Africa consortium and beyond. The ABI activities centre around data, which is the focus of the consortium.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
The presentation will discuss the plans to establish mutually beneficial partnerships with different stakeholders, including governments and industry.
What should the participants expect?
There will be a 10-15 minute presentation followed by interactive discussion and input using mentimeter.
African Genomics Data Hub (AfriGen-D)
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
The African Genomics Data Hub (AfriGen-D) offers a suite of interconnected resources and services to facilitate the implementation of African genomics research throughout all the research data life cycle, from data generation and discovery, to analysis and long term archiving.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
The aim of presenting at the Networking Exchange is to raise the awareness of the newly established project and our resources/services to the data science community, particularly those involved in genomics.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
AfriGen-D offers key resources which can facilitate the sustainable solutions for data-driven research. Our goal is to make the fruits of omics research more visible, thereby increasing impact, awareness and reach.
What should the participants expect?
Participants working in the genomics space can expect to learn of many useful research that may form as critical components of their research in future, and also discover an organisation that could perhaps be an avenue for partnering, collaboration, and guidance in future.
APHRC - African Population and Health Research Center
Canada's International Development Research Centre
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
Canada's International Development Research Centre funds research for development in low and middle income countries.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
To share IDRC's work and learn from other organizations, presenters and participants
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
IDRC's funding emphasizes sustainable research partners.
What should the participants expect?
An overview of IDRC's health funding initiatives in Africa
Climate Sensitive Infectious Diseases Network (CSIDNet)
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
Climate Sensitive Infectious Disease Network (CSIDNet) is composed of members from over 50 countries around the world, primarily those most affected by climate sensitive infectious diseases. We are member-owned and led and support members to collaborate on co-designing, building, and maintaining impactful software tools to understand and respond to climate sensitive infectious diseases. Our members come from diverse disciplinary backgrounds including data science, social sciences, epidemiology, biostatistics, computer science, public health, and policy, amongst others. We are open to new partnerships and keen to connect with the DS-I Africa community.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
Partnerships across a wide range of organizations and disciplines are imperative if we are to increase society's capacity to quickly respond to increased variability in transmission and spread of infectious disease due to climate change. At CSIDNet, we are keen to grow a community of practice that spans institutional structures, geographies and disciplines. We are very excited to connect with those working on data science for Health in Africa to share what we are trying to grow at CSIDNet and to learn about what others are doing in the data science for health sector.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
My presentation would speak to the theme "Sustainable Partnerships for Research" by touching on the various factors -- mutual aid relations; interdisciplinarity, and a focus on the whole person -- approach that we take at CSIDNet to foster long-term and durable partnerships for CSID research. Following learnings from open source software communities of practice, we believe that investing in developing long-term interpersonal relationships within a community of practice is one key for building sustainable partnerships for research
What should the participants expect?
My presentation will focus on sharing the vision and structure of CSID Network as well as upcoming activities that we have planned and how to get involved.
Co-Creation Hub
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) is Africa's leading technology innovation hub, dedicated to accelerating the application of social capital and technology for economic prosperity. Within CcHUB, the Design for Health (DfH) practice focuses on addressing health-related challenges through innovation, research, and Human-Centered Design (HCD) principles.
Additionally, CcHUB manages the Senator Abiru Innovation Lab (SAIL), a community innovation center established to provide technology, business, and digital skills to tech enthusiasts and young entrepreneurs in Lagos state.
Our work at CcHUB is deeply rooted in partnerships. Through collaborations with organizations like MIT GOV/LAB, DfH has co-created governance innovations to improve service delivery in the healthcare sector. Similarly, SAIL has partnered with entities such as the Sahara Group Foundation to upskill the next generation of data scientists in Lagos.
By engaging with stakeholders across various sectors, CcHUB ensures that its initiatives are contextually relevant and impactful, addressing pressing public challenges through collaborative efforts.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
Participating in the 6th DS-I Africa Virtual Networking Exchange is a strategic opportunity for Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) to amplify our impact and connect with key stakeholders in Africa's data science for health ecosystem. This platform allows us to showcase our initiatives within the Design for Health (DfH) practice and the Senator Abiru Innovation Lab (SAIL), highlighting our efforts in developing data science talent and fostering innovation to address critical health challenges on the continent.? We look forward to engaging with leading researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and industry experts to share knowledge, explore potential collaborations, and gain insights into emerging trends and best practices in the field. Building these connections is instrumental in strengthening our programs and expanding our reach to drive sustainable improvements in healthcare outcomes across Africa.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
Our presentation aligns with the theme "Sustainable Partnerships for Research" by showcasing how the African Digital Epidemiology Innovation Network (ADEIN) (a DfH Community) and the Senator Abiru Innovation Lab (SAIL) foster impactful collaborations in health innovation and data science.
Through targeted training and mentorship programs, we enhance capacity and promote knowledge sharing among health innovators and data scientists, ensuring sustainability through skill development and practical application. Our joint initiatives are crafted to deliver research-driven solutions that are both implementable and scalable, exemplifying how interdisciplinary partnerships can bolster long-term research endeavors. Additionally, our structured mentorship programs are dedicated to talent development, ensuring that research outcomes translate into tangible healthcare improvements.
What should the participants expect?
Participants should expect an engaging presentation. We will showcase our innovative approach to talent development, highlighting successful initiatives and collaborative projects that have driven tangible improvements. Expect practical insights into building sustainable partnerships, leveraging data to address critical health challenges, and fostering a vibrant ecosystem for data-driven innovation.
CODATA
Data Science Without Borders
eHealth Africa
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
We are a private primary healthcare organization in Nigeria researching large language models to augment healthcare delivery. We will bring the perspective of a private sector company using technology tools to deliver healthcare.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
To showcase our work using advanced technology to improve healthcare. We are looking to see other innovators in healthcare and those working in data science for Nigeria.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
Private sector is a major stakeholder in the healthcare system in Africa. It is important that the perspectives and challenges faced by this key player is represented in any partnerships in health research.
What should the participants expect?
They can hear about a research study using large language models to augment community health workers in Nigerian private primary care setting.
Fiarconect
Gates Foundation
Iba Der Thiam university
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
University of Thies is an academic and research institution in Senegal. We have many partnerships with Gates foundation and European Union in health and Artificial Intelligence.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
I would like to present during this virtual network session to highlight the real challenges we encounter when applying AI to healthcare problems in Senegal.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
I will present a real-world health research problem we are tackling, highlighting the challenges involved to raise awareness across the network on how to build sustainable partnerships.
What should the participants expect?
If selected to present, participants can expect a practical and insightful discussion on the real challenges of applying AI to healthcare problems in Senegalese context. I will present a real-world health research case, highlighting technical, ethical, and logistical obstacles we face. The session will focus on collaborative solutions, emphasizing how we can build sustainable partnerships to address these challenges effectively.
IBM Research
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
IBM Research is a leading commercial research company invested in building data-driven solutions for the continent's most pressing healthcare challenges. Fuelled by AI and Quantum technologies, IBM Research partners with private and public institutes to build solutions for the future.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
Building our presence in Africa and South Africa is a core priority for the IBM Research Africa labs. As we continue to drive research partnerships on the continent, we continue to seek engagement opportunities with stakeholders interested in advancing their technology-driven solutions in healthcare.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
As this is the UNESCO International Year of Quantum, a core priority for me and my team is to bring greater awareness to quantum machine learning and its value and applications in the healthcare sector. Bringing awareness of the tools and resources available for quantum-fuelled healthcare research will aid in providing guidance on developing sustainable research partnerships in this domain.
What should the participants expect?
My presentation will be aimed to providing better clarity on the technology, how to get started on learning pathways, and how to ensure that our research incorporates the newest of technologies in a sustainable manner. Building sustainable partnerships is critical for reaching project goals and in a rapidly developing field such as QML, being aware of the potential, opportunities, and resources available are critical for accelerating discoveries using QML.
Kuyesera AI Lab, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
We are a research lab that aims to develop and experiment with AI solutions and technologies for solving problems in Malawi and elsewhere. We have partnered with organisations in Malawi and international organisations. We are part of several networks such as OHDSI Africa chapter, Inspire, ZIndi and Deep Learning Indaba. We are partnership oriented and have developed tools and datasets - some being used in competitions on Zindi.africa Our website is at https://kailab.tech
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
The founder of the lab Amelia Taylor. The lab offers internships and opportunities for researchers and practitioners in Malawi and relies on partnership, grants and contract work to sustain itself. We hope that your event helps us network, helps us communicate to others our work and also learn about the current vibrant community in Africa and how we can contribute to that.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
We draw from our experience of being a young research lab in AI, one of very few in Malawi, the experience we had with different work models, our, our experience with launching datasets for Zindi competitions.
What should the participants expect?
Key points and lessons learnt from work from (1) data standardisation in health and what particular challenges and opportunities one faces (2) using generative AI for health education training and (3) what does a funding model for research labs looks like in Malawi - may be similar in other countries.
MADIVA
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
Our organization is a university-based research consortium that leverages data science to address complex health issues, particularly multimorbidity, across sub-Saharan Africa. We work on harmonizing diverse health data sources, engaging with local communities, and translating analytical insights into practical tools-such as dashboards for clinics. Our consortium's success hinges on collaborations that span academic institutions, healthcare facilities, and community networks, which enables us to combine advanced scientific methods with contextual expertise. By working closely with these partners, we ensure that our research outcomes are both evidence-based and locally relevant.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
Presenting at the Networking Exchange offers a platform to highlight our data-driven approaches to multimorbidity and to learn from other practitioners tackling similar challenges. Participating in this event for our consortium is key to forging new connections with like-minded organizations and individuals and fostering robust, cross-continental partnerships. We are particularly eager to exchange knowledge on emerging best practices in data science for health and to discover novel ways of scaling our efforts to improve clinical outcomes in Africa.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
The presentation shows how collaborative research networks involving local clinics, public health scientists, and data scientists are indispensable for developing, validating, and applying predictive models in real-world conditions. By drawing on data from two distinct cohorts (rural South Africa and urban Kenya), we show how partner engagement enhances the adaptability and relevance of analytic methods. These sustainable partnerships ensure that our tool is rigorously tested in varied contexts and promote capacity building and knowledge transfer among stakeholders, contributing to a more self-sustaining research ecosystem.
What should the participants expect?
Participants can expect a clear, data-driven overview of how our proposed stratification approach identifies subgroups at elevated risk of multimorbidity. We will discuss:
1. Methodology - The principles behind our Poisson-based scoring system and how it pinpoints subgroups that deviate from average disease incidence levels.
2. Findings - Key insights from analyzing two African cohorts, highlighting risk differences and how region-specific factors (e.g., anthropometric measures, renal function) inform multimorbidity.
3. Practical Applications - How this tool can enhance early diagnosis and optimize resource allocation in clinics, paving the way for targeted interventions.
4. Broader Relevance - Potential to extend the method to other population-based studies such as genetic and microbiome studies. It will offer a framework for context-aware multimorbidity research across Africa.
Meridian Institute and Lacuna Fund
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
Lacuna Fund is a coalition of funders dedicated to providing resources to data scientists and researchers in LMICs to make machine learning and AI more representative, equitable, and accessible.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
Lacuna Fund has been able to make grants to 20 research teams to create, expand, or aggregate health datasets. The Virtual Networking Exchange provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the new research, data, and applications that are emerging from this work.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
I'd like to increase exposure to the new data being generated by African researchers and how it could be used. This could help researchers identify and connect with potential new partners and data users. This is important because if data is used it is more likely to be sustained.
What should the participants expect?
An overview of Lacuna Fund, health projects awarded, datasets created to date, and potential use cases along with plenty of time for Q&A and discussion.
National Institutes of Health
Neurallabs
OHDSI - Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
OHDSI is an open science initiative that uses a common data model, standardized terminology and open source tooling to allow for international observational research.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
Build collaborations around the data elements required by LMICs in Africa and to facilitate use of health information systems in Africa to participate in global research.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
We hope that we can fill gaps in the standards necessary for countries in Africa to fully participate in global research using tools like OHDSI and DS-I africa
What should the participants expect?
I will update the attendees on OHDSI, the African working group and our efforts to expand terminology for the African use cases. In particular, how we connecting the OpenMRS community to OMOP and standard terminologies.
PBR LifeSciences
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
We provide Real World data powered by AI for healthcare across countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
We are looking forward to sharing the power of our RWD data platforms powered by AI
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
We would showcase how our data is available for research and academic organizations to have access to data from Sub-Saharan Africa
What should the participants expect?
We would show a demonstration of our platforms ie our Retail pharmacy platforms which has insights into retail pharmacy data across Nigeria and Ghana and a prototype of our Research data lab, where you can have access to diverse data sets across Nigeria & Ghana
PUBGEM-Africa
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
PUBGEM-Africa is part of the DSi-Africa consortium and its primary focus developing and implementing models for sustainable public and patient engagement data science health research in Africa. The goal is to empower the public to actively contribute to research findings, fostering advocacy and informed decision-making. Sustainable Partnerships play an important role in our strategy, enabling us to engage communities meaningfully
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
Presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange is an opportunity for PUBGEM-Africa to showcase its work on building partnerships with patients and the public for public-engaged data science research. This platform allows us to connect with like-minded stakeholders, foster collaborations, and enhance public understanding of our mission.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
We will report on a scoping review of citizen engagement in health research in Africa and the applications of the findings to data science health research in Africa
What should the participants expect?
Participants can expect a report of the results of a coping review that outlines findings that could directly benefit local populations. Exploration of real-world applications of citizen science in health and data-driven initiatives, demonstrating its role in shaping sustainable and impactful solutions for African communities.
Talarify/RSSE Africa
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
RSSE Africa is a community of practice for research software and infrastructure (compute/data) developers on the African continent that aims to share skills and opportunities and improve equity, diversity and inclusion within the global research software and systems engineering (RSSE) space.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
RSSE Africa provides valuable opportunities for African research software and systems developers to network professionally and develop their skills. By joining the DS-I Virtual Networking Exchange, we hope to share these resources and opportunities and stimulate participation in the events and the global RSE movement. To date, the global RSE movement has been driven by the Global North, with limited input from highly skilled Africans. We will highlight opportunities to get involved and help shape research software practices and policies.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
My company, Talarify, is the main sponsor of RSSE Africa. Through Talarify's work, we already have a relationship with the DS-I network. We also play a role in facilitating North-South and South-South partnerships. With this presentation, we will highlight opportunities that are supported by Talarify and RSSE Africa, which have been involved in the global RSE movement for over 10 years.
What should the participants expect?
We will present the six-part virtual community conversation series "Enabling Open Science through Research Code," which ran from October 2024 to March 2025. Topics covered in this series included conversations with research software developers, enabling reproducibility through research code, opening up research code, documenting research code, testing research code, and funding research software. Over 400 people signed up for the series, with an average of 30+ participants attending each session. Each session was recorded (available on YouTube), and a resource sheet (with useful links to resources shared by panellists and the participants) was published alongside a summary blog post. Participants may find these resources useful.
We plan to launch the next season in June 2025 and would like to invite participants in the DS-I network exchange to suggest topics and join the upcoming sessions.
University of Energy and Natural Resources
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
Our organization is committed to advancing data science for health discovery in Africa, leveraging AI-driven research to improve health outcomes, disease prediction, and medical diagnostics. Through sustainable partnerships, we collaborate with academic institutions, industry leaders, and policymakers to drive innovation, knowledge exchange, and capacity building, ensuring long-term impact in healthcare technology and policy development.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
Presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange is essential for showcasing our data science research for health discovery in Africa, fostering strategic collaborations, and engaging with global health and AI experts. We look forward to building sustainable partnerships, exchanging cutting-edge insights, and exploring opportunities for joint research, funding, and policy-driven health innovations that drive meaningful impact.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
Our presentation will highlight data science-driven health research collaborations, showcasing how strategic partnerships between academia, industry, and policymakers drive sustainable healthcare innovation. We will share insights on joint research initiatives, capacity building, and funding models that ensure long-term impact in health discovery, medical AI applications, and public health advancements in Africa.
What should the participants expect?
Participants can expect insights on data science-driven health research collaborations, strategies for sustainable partnerships, and real-world applications in health discovery, medical AI, and public health analytics, fostering innovation, policy impact, and long-term research sustainability across academia, industry, and healthcare systems in Africa.
Villgro Africa
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
Villgro Africa supports early and growth stage innovators/companies in refining their products and value propositions to enable growth and impact on the continent. We achieve this by leveraging a broad network of partners, both technical and financial.
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
The virtual networking exchange draws a broad spectrum to African innovators, often from academia, who are unaware of the nuances of how to leverage partnerships and understanding market positioning to achieve traction and growth. We look forward to sharing our learnings in the data science/AI space in hopes that others can benefit.
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
We will share success stories of partnerships between academia and early stage innovators and companies.
What should the participants expect?
A better understanding of the "Science of Scaling" - how to better position your innovation for success right from the formative stages.
Wellcome Trust
How does your work intersect with partnerships?
Wellcome Trust and we are a long-time partner of the DS-I Africa
Why is presenting at the Virtual Networking Exchange important to you, and what are you most looking forward to?
Presenting is important to me to be able to provide an overview of Wellcome and provide information on potential funding opportunities available particularly to such a wide audience, some who may not be familiar with the scope of funding opportunities. I look forward to meeting and interact with the attendees
How would your presentation speak to the theme, Sustainable Partnerships for Research?
I would be speaking about Wellcome's new equity framework and approach which reaffirms our commitment to fund research partnerships in a way that enables sustainability.
What should the participants expect?
Get an overview of Wellcome, its strategy and where its main funding focus is
Get a flavour of the various opportunities for research funding and how to access them