Earlier this year, we had the privilege of hosting two Grand Challenges African Drug Discovery Accelerator (GC ADDA) events here in Cape Town, South Africa.
Kicking off with the two-day GC ADDA Global Health Mentorship Programme (GHMP) Scientific Leadership Workshop, on Sunday, 9 February, we welcomed a contingent of 12 GHMP Mentors from around the world and 38 GHMP Mentees from across the continent to participate in this intensive training session with mentors, Dr Renata Lazarova and Mr Mina Magdy, as well as the GHMP core team of Dr Susan Winks, Prof Pillai Goonaseelan (Colin) and Ms Nicola Elliott-Wong.
The program currently supports emerging drug discovery researchers from Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In this cohort alone, 53 mentees have enrolled in the programme and been matched with industry partners from the pharmaceutical and global health industry to provide specialised mentorship. Mentors are internationally renowned senior subject matter experts from industry and academia.
A highlight of the GHMP Leadership Workshop was a visit to The Long March To Freedom in Century City.
“[The Long March to Freedom workshop] was amazing. Learning about leaders who have been instrumental in SA’s journey was truly inspiring. It reignited my passion for African leadership.” – Mentee
Insights from the personality profiling also made a big impression:
“For someone moving from a mentee into a mentor stage in my career, the personality/leadership style profiling was a big game changer. Personally I have been grappling with how to take on a leadership role in my new position. Now I understand how to use my personality and adapt to the people around me, which I think will guide me tremendously in being an intentional leader.” – Mentee
The mentees also attended the GC ADDA Drug Discovery and Development Course which took place from Tuesday, 11 February to Friday, 14 February.
The comprehensive course covered the full drug discovery pipeline, from identifying suitable disease targets and setting up screening assays to clinical trials and patent strategy. Sessions were presented by the GHMP Mentors who are industry experts from across the globe,
Thank you to Dr Jeremy Burrows, Dr Bakela Nare, Dr Dirk Lamprecht, Dr Kirandeep Kaur Samby, Dr Greg Basarab, Dr Joe Eyermann, Prof Franco Lombardo, Dr Abdallah Derbalah, Dr Cristina Donini, and Dr Olawale Salami for your excellent presentations, as well as Dr Renata Lazarova and Mr Mina Magdy for facilitation assistance.
This is what attendees had to say in feedback forms:
GHMP LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP
“Perhaps the best workshop I’ve attended in recent years.”
“The workshop was an outstanding experience—engaging, insightful, and truly inspiring! The sessions provided invaluable leadership strategies, and the discussions were both thought-provoking and highly relevant. The facilitators created an environment that encouraged collaboration and self-reflection, making it a transformative experience. I left feeling more equipped and motivated to lead in the scientific space. Looking forward to future workshops!”
“Beyond simply gaining knowledge, the workshop inspired me to continue learning and growing as leaders in my field.”
GC ADDA DRUG DISCOVERY COURSE
“This was an amazing experience and I am very delighted to take back home key fundamentals of drug discovery. I look forward to attending more of such workshops and courses by H3D.”
“The course was exceptionally well-organized, with a seamless flow between sessions,engaging speakers, and well-structured content. The logistics were handled efficiently,ensuring a smooth experience for participants. Overall, it was a highly valuable and well-executed workshop.”
“This training is perfect, especially on the African continent. I would encourage the organizers to ensure this continues, hopefully twice in a year moving into the future.”
CONNECT WITH US:
Recent Comments