Cores & Project Leads
Our multidisciplinary team has a track record of data science application to trauma and acute care challenges in HIC and LMIC. We also have a demonstrated commitment to using data science approaches to address surgical inequity in the US and in SSA. We propose to build on this strong foundation to complete two projects supported by the D-SINE Africa Cores that aim to improve surgical outcomes at points in patient trajectories most likely to be impactful.
Administrative Core Leadership
Prof. Chichom Mefire
University of Buea, Cameroon
Director
Prof. Chichom Mefire
During my career as a surgeon, I have been privileged to practice across various settings in my country and
this provided me an overview of the difficulties of surgical practice in Low and Middle-income countries and the
opportunity to face different sets of challenges and obstacles of global access to timely and quality surgical and
anesthetic care. Some of the obstacles identified which require urgent action include poor outcome of
management of trauma cases and its associated factors, low level of awareness on issues regarding patient
safety and the problem of appropriate use of antibiotics in sepsis-related situations in surgery.
I realized the urgent need to define strategies for strengthening surgical care with particularly focus on the
injured, and to contribute in making access to timely and quality surgical care a truly global concern in the spirit
of surgical equity. The general goal of my research practice is to cope with the overwhelming lack of basic
data, the definition of a new set of standards of surgical practice specific to Low and Middle-income countries
without compromising quality and initiating a spirit of patient safety. Specific focus is given to improving the
care of the injured, improving surgical outcomes in general by promoting global access to surgical care and
surgical equity, and finally introducing patient safety in all aspects of surgical practice.
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org
Dr. Fanny Dissak Delon
Ministry of Public Health
Hub Administrator
Dr. Fanny Dissak Delon
My experience conducting trauma registry work in Cameroon, ability to manage complex projects, extensive
clinical and research training, and in-depth knowledge of the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) as a
public health officer at the Ministry’s Littoral Regional Delegation demonstrate my qualifications to serve as the
Hub Administrator for the Data Science Center for Surgery, Injury, and Equity in Africa (D-SINE Africa).
I am a physician with a PhD in public health and notable skills in health project management. For the past
10 years, I have worked to develop and monitor community-based infectious disease prevention and control
programs, such as Maternal and Child HIV, Malaria Prevention, Vaccination (polio, measles / rubella), and
Neglected Tropical Disease programs, at the regional level of Cameroon. Upon receiving my medical degree in
2009, I supported the Cité des Palmiers Health District and General Hospital of Douala in the planning and
supervision of public health activities and adherence to various interventions. As a public health officer at the
Ministry of Public Health Regional Delegation, I am responsible for supervising priority vertical programs,
collaborating with respective regional coordinators/focal points in the 24 health districts and more than 1000
health facilities across Cameroon’s Littoral Region.
In addition to my project management skills, I have strong experience in public health research, and more
specifically in trauma care research. Since 2015, I have served as a field supervisor on a multi-institutional
trauma registry project that is a collaboration between the Cameroonian Ministry of Public Health and currently
the UCLA Program Advancement for the Surgical Equity. In this role, I oversee all implementation and data
collection activities at four hospital sites, coordinate data management, and connect the US-based research
team to the local healthcare system. Conversely, the project has given me the opportunity to familiarize myself
with administrative and research ethics procedures at US Universities and other institutions. In the framework
of my collaboration in this study, I have presented a poster at the Congress of the West African College of
Surgeons (WACS 2016), and am a co-author on several publications related to this project.
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org
Dr. Eta Vivian Ayamba
University of Buea
Coordinator
Dr. Eta Vivian Ayamba
My prior experience as a coordinator in previous organizations and my background as a clinical nurse has
prepared me to serve as a coordinator for the “Data Science Center for the Study of Surgery, Injury, and Equity
in Africa (D-SINE Africa)”. I have worked as a clinical nurse for over 15 years during which I coordinated the
activities of the Medico-Surgical and Maternity Units in the Mvomeka’a and Muea Sub-divisional hospitals and
vaccination activities at the District Health Service level. I have also been involved with supervision and
evaluation of students on clinical placements, reviewed and developed curricular from Nursing, Midwifery and
Medico-Surgical Nursing Schools and served as a member of jury for national practical certification examinations
for State Registered Nurses. Furthermore, I served as home based coordinator of the Masters in Nursing
Education online programme in a multilateral international collaboration involving the British Council, University
of East Anglia Norwich, University of Buea and IAMS. I was also the focal point for UB-Case Western University
exchange. In addition, I have been teaching in the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University
of Buea for over 11 years and I have been involved in designing Departmental projects. I have also contributed
greatly in mentoring other higher institutions of learning that are training nurses and midwives in the country. My
other mentorship roles include supervision of many undergraduate theses, co- supervised post graduate theses
and training of Midwifery teachers. In my current position, I am in charge of coordinating clinical postings and
final year internships and post-internship evaluation (clinical and viva) for both undergraduate and post graduate
midwifery and nursing students including second year medical students. Other responsibilities include
preparation of internship letters, rotation plans and objectives, conduct pre-placement orientation for students
and clinical teachers, and supervision of students at the clinical sites as well as prepare motivation list for the
clinical teachers in the different internship sites. These experiences along with my education make me capable
of serving as a coordinator at D-SINE Africa organizing trainees, investigator and research activities according
to stated objectives.
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org
Prof. Juillard Catherine
University of California, SF, CA
Deputy Director
Prof. Juillard Catherine
My prior work in sub-Saharan Africa on injury and my clinical background as a trauma surgeon has prepared me to
conduct the proposed project “Harnessing Data Science to Promote Equity in Injury and Surgery for Africa”. As a
former Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal, West Africa, I witnessed first-hand the burden of disease due to trauma
and other surgical diseases in low- and middle-income countries. This experience also allowed me to develop the
skillset necessary to perform public health project implementation in culturally diverse environments. My current
position as the Co-Director for the Program for the Advancement of Surgical Equity (PASE) at UCLA provides me
with diverse resources I can leverage towards research aimed at identifying and mitigating global surgical disease
disparity. My research focus has been on improving trauma care in sub-Saharan Africa through the development of
injury surveillance systems and trauma quality improvement initiatives. I have conducted studies in Cameroon,
Uganda, and Nigeria; I have also done research with partners in Kenya, South Africa, and Ethiopia. I have worked
with Dr. Alan Hubbard for the past six years to apply data science methods to surgically-related studies in LMICs,
including machine learning for trauma outcome prediction, geospatial analysis to inform trauma resource allocation,
and cluster-based algorithms to assess socioeconomic status. In Cameroon, I have worked with Dr. Alain Chichom
and the University of Buea for 13 years to study the epidemiology of injury, access to surgical care, and quality
improvement in trauma care. My background in public health, in combination with the professional relationships I
have cultivated in sub-Saharan Africa, have positioned me well to continue the work that will allow me to fulfill my
career commitment to reducing the burden of injury in sub-Saharan Africa. Through our work in Cameroon, I am
committed not only to a productive research collaboration, but also to use our findings to create change on a
broader scale. Our long-term partnership with the Ministry of Public Health provides the potential for replication,
dissemination, and generalization of effective interventions.
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org
Dr. Bilounga Ndongo
Cameroon Ministry of Public Health
Partnership Consultant
Dr. Bilounga Ndongo
I am a physician and Public and Occupational Health specialist currently working as a Senior Public Health
Officer at the Ministry of Public Health’s (MOPH) Department for the Control of Disease, Epidemics and
Pandemics since August 2016. In this role, I significantly contribute to the coordination of epidemiological
surveillance and response to epidemics and health emergencies in Cameroon. During the COVID-19
pandemic, I have participated in the elaboration of Cameroon’s preparedness and response plan, leading the
elaboration of the first draft of the national guidelines for the response to the outbreak, and ensuring the
country adheres to the World Health Organization’s Flu pandemic preparedness checklist. Following the
activation of Cameroon’s national public health emergency operations center on March 6 2020 I operated as
the chief of operation section during the first two months of the pandemic. I therefore have extensive
experience coordinating interventions that necessitate sensitization and community engagement with the
population.
I possess unique qualifications and skillsets that can be an asset to the Data Science Center for the Study of
Surgery, Injury, and Equity in Africa (D-SINE Africa). I am a regional expert on Chemical, Biological,
Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) risk, and have acted as the national focal for the European Union’s “Project
48”, related to the regional management of epidemics, which has involved organizing trainings and simulation
exercise in many African countries. I am also a technical supervisor for advanced residents in the CDC’s Field
Epidemiology and Training Program (FETP) in Cameroon. Since 2019, I have served as a lecturer and
coordinator of the online program of Master of Public Health in the Central Africa Catholic University. She is
also part of Women in Global Health and acts in the Higher Women Consortium Research as Deputy Secretary
General with the aim of the consortium to enhance the contribution of women to research.
Given my deep understanding of the health system in Cameroon, I will act as the MOPH partnership officer for
D-SINE Africa and will facilitate all the administrative procedures engaged at the Ministry level .
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org
Mr. Esuh-Nnoko Divine
University of Buea
Finance Manager
Mr. Esuh-Nnoko Divine
I hold a B.Sc., Maitrise and MBA in Management Sciences during which I acquired significant skills and
knowledge in Financial Management, Financial Accounting, Budgeting, Auditing and Management Control,
Project Management, amongst others. I previously worked as Finance Administrator in charge of the
commercialization and Administration of Saving Schemes with Societe Commerciale des Banques (SCB)
Yaounde, Cameroon from 2003 to 2009. Currently, I am working as a Finance Officer in the Accounting Office
of the University of Buea, Cameroon since 2011 where my duties include processing of funds of all externally
donor-funded projects, internal control of financial operations and verification of bank accounts of six faculties
and five schools of the University. I also serve as Management Controller of the Technological and
Professional Components (program 241) of the University in charge for the follow up ‘Rapport Annuel des
performances’ (RAP) and elaboration of the program budget of the University of Buea. I am also the personnel
in charge of processing and depositing personnel salaries; the expenditure Liaison Officer for Faculty of
Science and the Tax Declaration Officer (VAT, AIT and PIT) for the university. In addition, I have experience
with software applications in financial management such as QuickBooks, GIDOCEP, SARA, ISBA, and
Microsoft Excel. Working as the Finance Administrator in the Accounting Office of the University of Buea, I
collaborate with several investigators including Prof. Chichom Alain on executing large scale externally donor
funded scientific projects. I am currently handling the Financial Administration of a portfolio of 38 ongoing
donor funded projects at the University of Buea. These experiences and key competences makes me skilled
in all aspects of financial management of externally funded projects suitable for this grant, Harnessing Data
Science to Promote Equity in Injury and Surgery for Africa, where I will serve as the finance manager for the
Data Science Center for the Study of Surgery, Injury, and Equity in Africa (D-SINE Africa).
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org
Prof. Maswime Salome
University of Cape Town
Deputy Director
Prof. Maswime Salome
For the proposed project, I will serve as a Deputy Director for the Data Science Center for the Study of Surgery, Injury, and Equity in Africa (D-SINE Africa) and a co-investigator for the research project, “A novel cluster-based algorithm to estimate socioeconomic status for health equity surveillance in sub-Saharan Africa”.
aiming to establish a health equity surveillance system for Sub-Saharan Africa on the “Harnessing Data
Science to Promote Equity in Injury and Surgery for Africa” U54 grant application.
I am Associate Professor and the Head of the Global Surgery Division at the University of Cape Town, an
Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, and the President of the South African Clinician Scientists Society. I have
expertise in research, teaching and clinical service. l trained as a medical doctor, specialized in Obstetrics and
Gynaecology and did a Masters and PhD in Obstetrics and Gynaecology on caesarean section-related
haemorrhage. I have worked as a clinician scientist managing high-risk obstetric patients, teaching medical
students, interns and residents, supervising Masters and PhD students. I currently run the Global Surgery
Division heading up the academic programme and co-ordinating Global Surgery research, implementation and
innovation. My research interests are global surgery related to caesarean sections, and placental causes of
stillbirth. I am passionate about equity, access to surgery and improving the quality of surgical care in Africa. I
am a member of the African Perioperative Research Group and a board member of the South African Health
Systems Trust. Our research global surgery priorities are maternal health, trauma surgery, cancer surgery, and
childrens surgery.
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org
Dr. Ndip Lucy Ayamba
University of Buea CMR
Seed Program Officer
Dr. Ndip Lucy Ayamba
I have served as Deputy-Vice Chancellor in charge of Research, Cooperation and relations with the Business World at the
University of Buea. In this position, I managed all research projects conducted by faculty, students, and collaborators at the University. The Office of the DVC-RCB is in charge of signing collaborations with other institutions and
corporations at the national and international level. We ensure that all projects are in conformity with the
Government of Cameroon laws and also the policies of the funding organization.
Before my appointment to the office of DVC-RCB, I was in charge of Internal Control and Evaluation (ICE) of
the University of Buea (2015-2019). During my tenure as DVC-ICE, I had the opportunity to master all the
regulations and policies of the University of Buea including those applicable to the research office. Therefore, I
am well versed with the University’s rules and regulations.
I am trained as a Medical Microbiologist. During my training, I had the opportunity to be trained as a Forgarty
fellow at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (2001-2002. 2003, 2005). During that period, I
had a brief exposure to US government policies and regulations. In addition, I have been managing the
Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the University of Buea since 2008 (Blazes et al., 2011. US
Army Med Dep J; Sanchez et al., BMC Public Health. Mar 4;11 Suppl 2:S4. 2011). This laboratory was funded
in full by the US Department of Defense Global Infectious Diseases program through the Henry M. Jackson
Foundation. We developed capacity to carry out surveillance for Influenza viruses and other emerging
infectious diseases. During this time, our financial reporting was based on the system as requested by the
funding agency, the HJF-MRI which reported back to the US-DoD.
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org
Mr. Ncho Fabian Ntah
University of Buea CMR
Administrative Analyst
Mr. Ncho Fabian Ntah
I have served in the Division of Research and Publications of the University of Buea for the past 12 years where
I handle different aspects of research grant management administration. My job responsibilities include:
maintenance and updating the database of internally and externally funded research grants; verification of
research grant disbursement request files for compliance with institutional guidelines and funding agency
guidelines or grant agreements; search, collate and widely disseminate research funding opportunities,
fellowships and scholarships to staff and students; regularly collate, analyze and report trends on externally
funded research grants, report on flagship projects, staff development as well as the University research staff
strength over time. Additionally, I receive and widely disseminate to the entire university community, adverts,
calls for papers, conference participation and other research related issues coming from other
institutions/organizations. I also conduct other routine administrative work like drafting correspondences, draw
budget, write reports and take meeting minutes. I have learned and acquired professional skills through working,
conferences and workshops participation on themes such as; ‘training research managers’, ‘grants
management’, and ‘grant writing skills’. I recently participated in the NIH organized Virtual Seminar on Program
Funding and Grants Administration to improve my knowledge on NIH grant management processes. My
academic training in Economics has equally groomed me with data analytical skills, econometric analysis skills
and project management skills which are very helpful in my research grant management job. I will bring these
prior experiences and skills to the “Data Science Center for the Study of Surgery, Injury, and Equity in Africa (DSINE
Africa)”
where
I
will
serve
as
Administrative
analyst.
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org
Data Management Core (DMAC) Leadership
Dr. Alan Hubbard
University of California Berkeley
CORE 2 LEAD
Dr. Alan Hubbard
During my career as a surgeon, I have been privileged to practice across various settings in my country and
this provided me an overview of the difficulties of surgical practice in Low and Middle-income countries and the
opportunity to face different sets of challenges and obstacles of global access to timely and quality surgical and
anesthetic care. Some of the obstacles identified which require urgent action include poor outcome of
management of trauma cases and its associated factors, low level of awareness on issues regarding patient
safety and the problem of appropriate use of antibiotics in sepsis-related situations in surgery.
I realized the urgent need to define strategies for strengthening surgical care with particularly focus on the
injured, and to contribute in making access to timely and quality surgical care a truly global concern in the spirit
of surgical equity. The general goal of my research practice is to cope with the overwhelming lack of basic
data, the definition of a new set of standards of surgical practice specific to Low and Middle-income countries
without compromising quality and initiating a spirit of patient safety. Specific focus is given to improving the
care of the injured, improving surgical outcomes in general by promoting global access to surgical care and
surgical equity, and finally introducing patient safety in all aspects of surgical practice.
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org
Machekano Rhoderick
Stellenbosch University
DMAC Data Nalyst
Machekano Rhoderick
My role in this proposed grant application “Harnessing Data Science to Promote Equity in Injury and Surgery
for Africa” as faculty is to provide support to the data management and analysis core.
I have over 20 years of
HIV/AIDS and TB research and statistical experience. I have been involved with several HIV/TB research
studies in sub Saharan Africa and published modestly in peer reviewed journals. I am a member of the
Southern Africa Treatment and Resistance Network in which I contribute to the understanding of the
development and transmission of HIV drug resistance. I contributed to the development of the Stanford HIV
Sequence Database, a curation of HIV sequences from all over the world that helps in the understanding of
HIV Drug resistance. In my current role as Director of Biostatistics and Research Data Management at
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Associate Professor of Biostatistics at Stellenbosch
University, I am responsible for providing statistical leadership of operational research studies and oversight of
biostatistics teaching at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, developing biostatistics curricula, quality
assurance and biostatistical consulting to researchers.
I am currently a principle investigator of a D43 training
program to build biostatistics capacity in Sub Saharan Africa. I believe my experience as a biostatistics
professor and a collaborator in HIV research qualifies me to support the data management and analysis core in
this proposal.
- Phone:+237 678 677 677
- Email:info@example.com
Dr. Nguefack Tsague Georges
University of Yaounde 1, CMR
CORE 2 CO-LEAD
Dr. Nguefack Tsague Georges
I’m currently lecturing Biostatistics, Data Science, and Health Informatics, with professional collaboration of
the Cameroon National Institute of Statistics where I started my professional career 23 years ago, and the
Cameroon Ministry of Public Health.
My research agenda addresses topics in data analysis; programmatic
mapping and size estimation of populations most at risk of HIV; HIV modelling; Health Information System;
health research secondary data analysis; in particular DHS data. My expertise in secondary data analysis has
led me to be the coordinator of Working Group “Data Mining and Big Data Analytics” and the Work Set
“Secondary Data Analysis of Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) in Africa” of the Pan African Health
Informatics Association (HELINA).
Within this framework, I conducted capacity building in Data Mining and Big
Data Analytics and DHS analysis with financial support of UNICEF and IMIA in Ghana, Burundi, Democratic
Republic of Congo, and Cameroon. Furthermore, I have more than 20 years’ experience in international
consultancy works with UN System, international organizations and others partners: The Global Fund to fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, Expertise France, USAID, HKI, and
KfW. I’m author of more than 65 publications in peer reviewed journal, and a book.
- Phone:+237 678 677 677
- Email:info@example.com
Dr. Njouendou Abdel J.
University of Buea CMR
DATA MANAGER
Dr. Njouendou Abdel J.
I’m currently lecturing Biostatistics, Data Science, and Health Informatics, with professional collaboration of
the Cameroon National Institute of Statistics where I started my professional career 23 years ago, and the
Cameroon Ministry of Public Health.
My research agenda addresses topics in data analysis; programmatic
mapping and size estimation of populations most at risk of HIV; HIV modelling; Health Information System;
health research secondary data analysis; in particular DHS data. My expertise in secondary data analysis has
led me to be the coordinator of Working Group “Data Mining and Big Data Analytics” and the Work Set
“Secondary Data Analysis of Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) in Africa” of the Pan African Health
Informatics Association (HELINA).
Within this framework, I conducted capacity building in Data Mining and Big
Data Analytics and DHS analysis with financial support of UNICEF and IMIA in Ghana, Burundi, Democratic
Republic of Congo, and Cameroon. Furthermore, I have more than 20 years’ experience in international
consultancy works with UN System, international organizations and others partners: The Global Fund to fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, Expertise France, USAID, HKI, and
KfW. I’m author of more than 65 publications in peer reviewed journal, and a book.
- Phone:+237 678 677 677
- Email:info@example.com
Prof. Mama FOUPOUAGNIGNI
AIMS Cameroon
CORE 2 LEAD
Prof. Mama FOUPOUAGNIGNI
I am the Chief Academic Officer of the AIMS Global Network and President of AIMS Cameroon.
I also serve as a Professor of Mathematics at the Higher Teacher Training College (Ecole Normale Supérieure)
of the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon. I have extensive training in Mathematics, holding a German
Habilitation in Mathematics from the University of Kassel in Germany and a PhD in Mathematical Physics from
the Institute of Mathematics and Physics of the National University of Benin. Prior to this, I acquired a dual
training in pure mathematics and mathematics education for the Bachelor and Master levels at the University of
Yaoundé I. I am an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, and President of the Cameroon Mathematical Union. I
have also served as the Africa Representative at the 2015-2018 and 2018-2022 Commissions for Developing
Countries of the International Mathematical Union.
My main research domain is Orthogonal Polynomials and Special Functions of Mathematical Physics, where I
have made relevant contributions (Mathscinet & Google scholar) and have supervised five PhD theses
(Mathematics Genealogy Project). My research has also focused on the characterization of classical
orthogonal polynomial on non-uniform lattices and the derivation and solution of the fourth-order
differential/difference/q-difference/divided-difference equations satisfied by modification of classical orthogonal
polynomials.
- Phone:+237 678 677 677
- Email:info@example.com
Mr. Teghen Victor T
University of Buea
IT MANAGER
Mr. Teghen Victor T
With more than five years of experience in Telecommunications and Information Technology, I have gained strong technical and organizational skills. My areas of practice and technical support include installing, configuring, maintaining and upgrading of computers and telecommunications networks, peripherals and user points for voice and data communications applications. With a passion for hands-on troubleshooting, I am skilled in inspecting and testing the operation of telecommunications equipment; diagnosing and locating equipment faults, and adjusting, replacing or repairing telecommunications and computer equipment. I can also evaluate, and install hardware, software and operating systems, manage data backups, and optimize performance of computer systems. I am apt with cloud-based infrastructures, relational databases and ensuring data security.
On the platform of the “Data Science Center for the Study of Surgery, Injury, and Equity in Africa (D-SINE Africa)” where I am serving as IT Manager, I ensure that all employees have the technology they need to get their job done, from a reliable laptop and cloud access for remote workers, to up-close coordination with other remote teams on the field. I also provide on ground support for hardware, software and operating systems installation and data systems.
- Phone:+237 675 189 277
- Email:teghen.victor@ubuea.cm
Capacity Building Core Leadership
Prof. Mama FOUPOUAGNIGNI
AIMS Cameroon CORE 3 CO-LEAD
Prof. Mama FOUPOUAGNIGNI
I am the Chief Academic Officer of the AIMS Global Network and President of AIMS Cameroon.
I also serve as a Professor of Mathematics at the Higher Teacher Training College (Ecole Normale Supérieure)
of the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon. I have extensive training in Mathematics, holding a German
Habilitation in Mathematics from the University of Kassel in Germany and a PhD in Mathematical Physics from
the Institute of Mathematics and Physics of the National University of Benin. Prior to this, I acquired a dual
training in pure mathematics and mathematics education for the Bachelor and Master levels at the University of
Yaoundé I. I am an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, and President of the Cameroon Mathematical Union. I
have also served as the Africa Representative at the 2015-2018 and 2018-2022 Commissions for Developing
Countries of the International Mathematical Union.
My main research domain is Orthogonal Polynomials and Special Functions of Mathematical Physics, where I
have made relevant contributions (Mathscinet & Google scholar) and have supervised five PhD theses
(Mathematics Genealogy Project). My research has also focused on the characterization of classical
orthogonal polynomial on non-uniform lattices and the derivation and solution of the fourth-order
differential/difference/q-difference/divided-difference equations satisfied by modification of classical orthogonal
polynomials.
- Phone:+237 678 677 677
- Email:info@example.com
Sandra McCoy, PhD
UC, Berkeley - CORE 3 CO-LEAD
Sandra McCoy, PhD
I am an Associate Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California,
Berkeley (UC Berkeley) School of Public Health. Together with collaborators in the United States and subSaharan
Africa,
I
design
and evaluate
new
interventions
that
can
improve
sexual
and reproductive
health
among
adolescents
and adults.
My
studies
frequently
focus
on
increasing
adherence
to
treatment,
encouraging
people
to
receive
routine
health
screenings,
and facilitating
access
to
health
services
and
products
like
HIV
self-testing
and modern
contraceptive
methods.
To
achieve
these
goals,
I
use
a variety
of
quantitative
methods
from
impact
evaluation,
implementation
science,
and
behavioral
science.
For
the
past
seven
years
I
have
led
a
series
of
completed
and ongoing
studies
focused
on
the
use
of
economic
incentives
(cash
transfers)
to
improve
retention
in
HIV
care
and adherence
to
antiretroviral
therapy.
Guided
by
an
implementation science framework, our goal is to develop an effective, cost-effective and scalable intervention
strategy, leveraging digital health (mHealth) tools and data science whenever possible. This research is
enhanced through my role as the Program Lead of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program in the
University of California, Berkeley online master of public health (MPH) program.
- Phone:+237 678 677 677
- Email:info@example.com
Sithombo Maqungo
University of CapeTown
CORE 3 FACULTY
Sithombo Maqungo
I am a public sector orthopaedic trauma surgeon in permanent clinical and academic service at the University
of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. I have been in practice for over 15 years and have published 40 journal
articles together with over 50 peer-reviewed podium presentations in national and international conferences. I
have also delivered keynote lectures at international institutions in the field of orthopaedic trauma and injury
care. Throughout my career, I have built up significant clinical and academic experience and published several
peer reviewed articles in the field of orthopaedic trauma. One of my accomplishments was to set up the
OrthoBallistics Research Centre within the Orthopaedic Research Unit at UCT. This is the only unit of its kind
in the world, dedicated to studying the epidemiology, treatment options and clinical outcomes in patients who
have sustained orthopaedic injuries secondary to civilian gunshots.
My experience in this field is recognised by the orthopaedic community at large as I am frequently contacted
both locally and internationally for clinical advice, to host clinical fellowships or short visits, and to deliver
keynote lectures sharing our experience. As a frontline clinician who is confronted daily by the scourge of
trauma and its devastating effects on families and communities, it is important for me to lend my voice to and
join forces with advocacy and lobby groups in an effort to effect policy change and influence law-making as a
solution to our endemic violence problem. To this effect, I am a member of a number of organisations working
to tackle gun violence, improve trauma and surgical care, and prevent injury. I am also involved in broader
orthopaedic administration in my role as the President of the South African Orthopaedic Trauma Society.
- Phone:+237 675 189 277
- Email:teghen.victor@ubuea.cm
Prof. Nsagha Dickson S.
University of Buea
CORE 3 FACULTY
Prof. Nsagha Dickson S.
I am a Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health and Hygiene and Vice-Dean in-Charge of
Programmes and Academic Affairs of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Buea. For the past
fifteen years, I have worked as an epidemiologist and have garnered extensive research experience in the
field. I also have experience in project formulation and design of community-based interventions in the fight
against HIV/AIDS, poverty reduction, child survival, malaria morbidity and mortality in children below five years,
and neglected tropical diseases. I have worked with different organizations such as the United Nations
Development Programme, WHO, UNAIDS, African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering, The Pan African
Institute for Development, Ministries of Health, and local and international NGOs to scale-up interventions,
conduct impact evaluations, develop investment projects, and build public health research capacity across
Africa.
My public health research has focused on the epidemiology of infectious diseases of poverty in resource
limited settings and field epidemiology interventions to mitigate the impact of these infectious diseases. I have
also investigated the use of mobile cellphones to improve health care delivery across Sub-Sharan Africa.
Throughout the course of my public health career, I have co-authored over 130 publications in peer-reviewed
journals as well as one book.
- Phone:+237 678 677 677
- Email:info@example.com
Dr. Alan Hubbard
University of California Berkeley
CORE 2 LEAD
Dr. Alan Hubbard
During my career as a surgeon, I have been privileged to practice across various settings in my country and
this provided me an overview of the difficulties of surgical practice in Low and Middle-income countries and the
opportunity to face different sets of challenges and obstacles of global access to timely and quality surgical and
anesthetic care. Some of the obstacles identified which require urgent action include poor outcome of
management of trauma cases and its associated factors, low level of awareness on issues regarding patient
safety and the problem of appropriate use of antibiotics in sepsis-related situations in surgery.
I realized the urgent need to define strategies for strengthening surgical care with particularly focus on the
injured, and to contribute in making access to timely and quality surgical care a truly global concern in the spirit
of surgical equity. The general goal of my research practice is to cope with the overwhelming lack of basic
data, the definition of a new set of standards of surgical practice specific to Low and Middle-income countries
without compromising quality and initiating a spirit of patient safety. Specific focus is given to improving the
care of the injured, improving surgical outcomes in general by promoting global access to surgical care and
surgical equity, and finally introducing patient safety in all aspects of surgical practice.
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsinafrica.org
Dr. Nguefack Tsague Georges
Univ. of Yaounde 1, CORE 3 FACULTY
Dr. Nguefack Tsague Georges
I’m currently lecturing Biostatistics, Data Science, and Health Informatics, with professional collaboration of the Cameroon National Institute of Statistics where I started my professional career 23 years ago, and the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health. My research agenda addresses topics in data analysis; programmatic mapping and size estimation of populations most at risk of HIV; HIV modelling; Health Information System; health research secondary data analysis; in particular DHS data. My expertise in secondary data analysis has led me to be the coordinator of Working Group “Data Mining and Big Data Analytics” and the Work Set “Secondary Data Analysis of Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) in Africa” of the Pan African Health Informatics Association (HELINA). Within this framework, I conducted capacity building in Data Mining and Big Data Analytics and DHS analysis with financial support of UNICEF and IMIA in Ghana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Cameroon. Furthermore, I have more than 20 years’ experience in international consultancy works with UN System, international organizations and others partners: The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, Expertise France, USAID, HKI, and KfW. I’m author of more than 65 publications in peer reviewed journal, and a book.
- Phone:+237 675 189 277
- Email:teghen.victor@ubuea.cm
Njabo Kevin Yana
Congo Basin Institute
CORE 3 FACULTY
Njabo Kevin Yana
I am an accomplished Senior Executive and Thought Leader with more than 15 years of success across the
environmental services, healthcare, and public health industries. Leveraging extensive experience leading
environmental regulations, I am a valuable advisor for an organization looking to enhance their go green efforts
or requiring grant proposals. My broad areas of expertise include, Education, Environmental Health Sciences,
Research and Development, Leadership, and E-Learning. I am also involved in training and mentorship of
graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. For this application, “Harnessing Data Science to Promote Equity
in Injury and Surgery for Africa”, I will serve as a faculty for the capacity building core providing mentorship for
trainees and researchers interested in Congo Basin’s institute’s datasets and exploring these datasets in new
ways to address issues of injury/surgery/equity in Cameroon or sub-Saharan Africa by DSI Network. I am
particularly interested in equity viz a viz the rights of indigenous people (detailed below) and one of the aims of
the center is using transformational research to address critical equity issues in the region.
One recent related area of research is assessing Africa’s responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This
pandemic found Sub-Saharan Africa countries generally ill-prepared to contain the virus or to deal with its
economic fallout, due to certain features including poverty, weak capacity of the health-care systems to contain
the spread of infection, handle emergencies and provide care for the sick. These features have shaped not
only the type and effectiveness of responses to the pandemic but also their impacts on lives and livelihoods in
the region. We created regional epidemiological and healthcare access vulnerability indices and compared with
cumulative COVID-19 cases, case fatality rates, and healthcare resources in Cameroon. We showed that
epidemiological risk factors for COVID-19 and access to healthcare varies between the Regions of Cameroon.
These discrepancies are potentially reflected in regional differences of COVID-19 cases and case fatality rates.
Understanding the relationships between epidemiological risk factors, access to healthcare resources, and
COVID-19 cases in Cameroon could aid decision-making among national policymakers and inform further
research.
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org
Halle-Ekane G. Edie
University of Buea
SENIOR ADVISOR
Halle-Ekane G. Edie
I am an Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Buea. Cameroon, where I was
recently appointed as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. I completed residency training in Obstetrics &
Gynecology in 1995 and have been a practicing specialist in the field for 25 years. I presently work at the Buea
Regional Hospital and Douala General Hospital, Cameroon, which serves as a tertiary referral center for the
Central African sub-region. I am also a Country Coordinator (Cameroon) for the Geneva Foundation for
Medical Education and Research in Switzerland, a non-profit organization that promotes and develops health
education and research.
My long-term research focus has been in the area of maternal and perinatal health. I have been involved in
several research projects investigating surgical complications of pregnancy and the management of surgical
diseases such as gynecological malignancies. Since 1996, I have participated in the design and oversight of
maternal and newborn outcomes programs and cervical cancer screening and treatment programs at the local
and national levels. In 2015, I collaborated with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University
of Geneva, Switzerland, to investigate self-sampling for genital HPV as a screening method for cervical cancer
in a rural setting.
I currently coordinate research and teaching activities at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea.
Moreover, I have worked collaboratively with several health facilities in Cameroon (e.g., Cameroon Baptist
Convention Health Services (CBCHS) and Catholic Health Services, etc.) to improve health care delivery
through education, research, and clinical care. Specifically, I mentor and supervise local and visiting Ob/Gyn
trainees, including visitors to the CBCHS through the University of Alabama Birmingham-Cameroon Health
Care Collaboration Initiative. I have also mentored fellows of the Afya Bora Consortium Fellowship in Global
Health Leadership and collaborate with other US Universities (Universities of Arizona, California San
Francisco, John Hopkins, and Florida).
I am fully committed to supporting the implementation of the proposed project, “Harnessing Data Science to
Promote Equity in Injury and Surgery for Africa.” Considering extensive research experience and my
background in obstetrics/ gynecology and global health, I will be a senior advisor to Dr. Alain Chichom Mefire. I will also serve as a member of the D-SINE Africa Internal advisory board. This project has the potential to significantly reduce the burden of surgical disease by leveraging data science to improve surgical care delivery in Cameroon and other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org
Livingston Edward H.
Northwestern University
CORE 3 FACULTY
Livingston Edward H.
I am a practicing general surgeon with over 35 years of experience that has long been devoted to training
surgical residents in the scientific writing of manuscripts for publication. I have published more than 220 peer reviewed
papers as well as
numerous
other
scientific
reports.
Since
2012,
I
have
served
as
Deputy
Editor
for
Clinical
Content
of
JAMA,
The
Journal
of
the
American
Medical
Association.
Before
that,
I
was
a Contributing
Editor
at
JAMA
for
three
years.
As
part
of
my
UCLA
faculty
commitment,
I
teach
an intensive
scientific
writing
course
and
provide
professional
editing
services
for
residents
to
help
them
publish
their
research
and
obtain
grant
funding.
Since
scientific
writing
is
often
a
rate-limiting
step
in
the
development
of
international
researchers,
D-SINE
trainees
will
be
able
to
virtually
attend
this
writing
course
designed
to
offer
a
long-term
perspective
on
writing
and
individualized
editing
to
scientific
trainees.
I
am
committed
to
working
closely
with
each
D-SINE
research
fellow,
reviewing
their
manuscripts,
and study
proposals
to
assess
their
study
designs
and
statistical
approaches.
For
the
proposed
project,
titled
"Harnessing
Data
Science
to
Promote
Equity
in
Injury
and
Surgery
for
Africa"
I will serve as a significant contributor on the Capacity Building Core, providing training and mentorship to DSINE
research
fellows
on
scientific
writing
in
medical
research.
I
will
contribute
my
scientific
editing
expertise
to
support
the
dissemination
of
publishable
scientific
papers
from
junior
African
investigators
in
high-impact
journals
and develop
research
capacity
to
propel
D-SINE
trainees
towards
independence.
I
look
forward
to
working
on
this
critical
initiative
to
address
persistent
gaps
in
the
training
and
career
development
pipeline
for
African
scholars
in
the
clinical
and public
health
fields.
- Phone:+237 675 580 555
- Email:contact@dsineafrica.org