The Quantitative Bioscience Institute (QBI) at UCSF and the University of Sierra Leone organized the first international scientific meeting in Sierra Leone, West Africa on July 29 - August 3, 2024. The First International West Africa Symposium and Workshops on Infectious Diseases bridged basic and clinical infectious disease research across countries in Africa, North America and the EU. It created connections to policymakers, patients and other stakeholders in West Africa, and focused on key aspects of Ebola, Lassa, malaria, Dengue, Zika and HIV.

This 2-day Symposium included presentations from researchers in West Africa, the US, EU and beyond and was followed by 4 days of hands-on workshops.

Symposium Objectives: July 29 – July 30

The overarching objectives were to share results and facilitate collaborations of West African scientists and clinicians with each other and the global scientific community. Early career investigators from Africa found this meeting especially helpful for networking with senior researchers and those from non-African countries -- direct interactions that might not otherwise be possible and which are highly valuable for future research collaborations.

Workshop Objectives: July 31 – August 3

Following the symposium, we provided 4 days of tactical, hands-on training in key areas (Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Molecular Biology and Clinical Research) and build capacity via grant writing and scientific writing instruction and introduction to free public resources at the NIH, particularly in bioinformatics. The organizers provided travel scholarships to selected African trainees and early stage and senior African investigators, with particular emphasis on women and minorities. Decision making was led by colleagues from African countries who are in tune with current emerging-realities and issues in the region. More details: https://sierraleonescience.org/workshops.

Learn more about this event: https://sierraleonescience.org.