Schedule
Overview
The DS-I Africa Virtual Symposium Platform is a collection of networking tools and online events, which will be open from July through November 2020 with several online events and networking tools available to participants during that time frame. The Platform is free and open to anyone interested. Some online events and networking tools require registration.
Past Events
Dates | Program | |
July 2020 | Keynote Videos Watch inspiring videos from leaders in health and data science |
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August 10, 2020 | DS-I Africa Program Launch Learn more about DS-I Africa funding opportunities and participate in live Q&A |
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August 11-12, 2020 August 17-19, 2020 |
Cross-cutting Topics Participate in panel discussions with experts on cross-cutting topics of importance to the initiative |
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September 15 – October 21, 2020 | State of Data Science Series A series of interactive discussions featuring deeper dives into a few relevant scientific topics on a weekly basis |
State of Data Science Series
The DS-I Africa State of Data Science Series was a collection of online, interactive panel discussions that took place on a weekly basis in September and October 2020. These sessions featured presentations by experts in their field, a moderated discussion, and opportunities for Q&A.
Key Date | Session Description |
Tues Sept 15 |
Biomedical Imaging: Acquisition and Analysis This session will focus on opportunities and challenges at the intersection of biomedical imaging (including microscopy, diagnostic and interventional radiology, and digital pathology) and data science. The session will both consider new and emerging imaging modalities as well as computer-aided diagnosis and treatment planning tools and emerging AI/machine learning approaches to image analysis. Moderators: Panelists: Michael Kawooya, Professor/Director, Ernest Cook Ultrasound Research and Education Institute (ECUREI) Celia Cintas, Research Scientist, IBM Research Africa Sameer Antani, Chief for the Communications Engineering Branch and the Computer Science Branch, Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications at the US National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health |
Wed Sept 23 9:00 am EDT | 4:00 pm EAT |
Leveraging Data Science Approaches to Address Environmental Health Challenges in Africa Environmental Health challenges in Africa are complex, involving a broad range of exposures, including ambient and indoor air pollution, electronic waste, heavy metals, pesticides, vector-borne pathogens, and climate change, and a large proportion of the disease burden in Africa is linked to environmental factors. This session will explore unique aspects and analytic challenges of the various types of environmental health data and will highlight recent data science approaches to characterizing hazardous exposures on the African continent, connecting environmental exposures to health outcomes, and reducing the risk of disease connected to the environment. Moderators: Caradee Wright, Senior Specialist Scientist, Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council Engineer Bainomugisha, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Computer Science, School of Computing & IT, Makerere University |
Wed Sept 30 9:00 am EDT | 4:00 pm EAT |
Biomedical Informatics and Data Sciences in Africa This session will address emerging opportunities and challenges in the application of Data Science and Informatics technologies in various biomedical domains. It will also highlight some key challenges in the areas of data mining, data quality, standards for various types of data, in addition to addressing how cutting-edge data analytics, predictive modeling and Machine Learning, and methods for simulations can advance human health in Africa. Moderators: Geetha Senthil, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH Elaine Nsoesie, Boston University Geoffrey Siwo, University of Notre Dame Dina Machuve, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology Moustapha Cisse, Google AI |
Wed Oct 7 9:00 am EDT | 4:00 pm EAT |
Innovative Approaches to Improve Maternal and Child Health Maternal and child health outcomes in Africa still lag behind the rest of the world despite prioritization as a topic of focus within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Partners from country-level governments, research institutions, private sector program funding agencies and non-governmental organizations are involved in various capacities and across disciplines, implementing activities to reduce the enormous burden of high mortality and morbidity of women and children on the African continent. Nonetheless, millions of women and children experience death and severe morbidity each year despite these efforts. In this session we will 1) address the gap in availability of existing databases and collective data focused on pregnancy and the peripartum period; 2) explore emerging use of linked data such as electronic medical records as a tool for conducting research, analyzing data and creating tools for interventions; and 3) develop concrete recommendations for a strategy to utilize data science to improve maternal and child health outcomes from pre-pregnancy to pregnancy and delivery and throughout the mother and child’s life course. Introductions: Diana Bianchi, M.D., Director, NICHD, NIH Panelists: Lilla Zöllei, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School Moses Alobo, M.D., Program Manager, Grand Challenges Africa Programme at African Academy of Sciences Alash’le Abimiku, Ph.D., Professor in Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Executive Director, International Research Center of Excellence at the Institute of Human Virology-Nigeria Amel Ghouila, Ph.D., Vice President, African Society of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (ASBCB); Founder, Technovation Tunisia |
Wed Oct 14 9:00 am EDT | 4:00 pm EAT |
Using Data Science to Fight COVID-19 Session Moderators: Panelists: Nirmal Ravi, MD, Ph.D., Director for Medical and Scientific Affairs, E-Health Africa, and Chief Innovation Officer, EHA Clinics Elaine Nsoesie, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health Frank Kagoro, M.D., MSc, Research Physician, MORU Tropical Health Network and WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network; PhD Candidate, University of Cape Town |
Wed Oct 21 9:00 am EDT | 4:00 pm EAT |
This session will highlight the emerging field of health metrics sciences and its role in measuring and monitoring summary measures of health in Africa to better develop and implement measures to reduce the burden of disease. Identify challenges and opportunities relevant to the DS-I Africa initiatives. Address the increasing role that health metrics is playing in informing and prioritizing systems-level health interventions and broad public health-related decision making. Discuss how health metrics and data science can inform and evaluate more effective integrated care efforts at the intersection of infectious diseases and the rapidly growing burden of chronic, non-communicable diseases Moderators: Panelists: Laura Dwyer-Lindgren, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Metrics Sciences, School of Medicine, and Institute for Health Metrics, University of Washington Ana H Mocumbi, MD, PhD, Senior Researcher and Head, Chronic & Non-Communicable Diseases Division, Ministry of Health, National Health Institute & Eduardo Mondlane University Ali H. Mokdad, PhD, Professor, Department of Health Metrics Sciences, School of Medicine, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation; Chief Strategy Officer, Population Health, University of Washington |
Interactive Panel Discussions
NIH hosted a series of online-only, interactive panel discussions in August 2020 featuring information on the funding opportunity announcements, cross-cutting topics of importance to the initiative, and relevant scientific issues.
DS-I Africa Program Launch
EDT - Eastern Daylight Time (New York, NY)
EAT - East Africa Time (Nairobi, Kenya)
Key Date | Program |
Mon Aug 10 |
Video Screening Optional screening of pre-recorded videos which will also be posted on the symposium website and Virtual Forum in advance. You may join at this time or view the videos at your convenience prior to the event. Opening Keynote: The NIH Vision for Harnessing Data Science and Innovation for Health in Africa Funding Opportunity Announcement Presentations Overview - Laura Povlich, Program Officer, Fogarty International Center (FIC), NIH Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research - Jay Churchill, Health Scientist Administrator, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH |
Mon Aug 10 |
Funding Opportunities Q&A Interactive Panel Ishwar Chandramouliswaran, Program Director of Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies at National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH
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Cross-Cutting Topics
WEEK 1
Key Date | Program |
Tues Aug 11 |
Video Screening Keynote Videos |
Tues Aug 11 |
KEYNOTE PANEL Moderator: Patricia Brennan, Director, National Library of Medicine, NIH Panelists: Brian Gitta, CEO and Co-Founder, Matibabu and Think IT |
Wed Aug 12 7:30 am EDT | 2:20 pm EAT |
Video Screening |
Wed Aug 12 9-11 am EDT | 4-6 pm EAT |
Harnessing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Data Science for Health Introduction: Moderator: Panelists: Andrea (Andi) Gobin, Director of Invention Education & Lecturer, Rice 360 Institute for Global Health, Rice University Robert Karanja, CEO, Villgro Kenya Fadhili Chacha Marwa, CEO, Enzi Health Theresa Mkandawire, Associate Professor, University of Malawi, The Polytechnic Elioda Tumwesigye, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Government of Uganda |
Thurs Aug 13 8-11 am EDT | 3-6 pm EAT |
Partnership and Innovation Marketplace |
WEEK 2
Key Date | Program |
Mon Aug 17 |
Video Screening |
Mon Aug 17 |
Training the Next Generation of Leaders in Data Science and Health Innovation Moderator: Martin Were, Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University; Founding Director, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Moi University, Kenya Panelists: Mahadia Tunga, Co-founder and Director of Capacity Development, Tanzania dLab Ignace Kabano, Head of Training, African Center of Excellence in Data Science, University of Rwanda Amel Ghoulia, Scientific Community Coordinator, Exaptive for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Jeremie Zoueu, National Polytechnic Institute, Côte d’Ivoire; African Spectral Imaging Network (AFSIN) |
Tues Aug 18 7:30 am EDT | 2:30 pm EAT |
Video Screening |
Tues Aug 18 9-11 am EDT | 4-6 pm EAT |
Introduction: Joshua Gordon, Director, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH Moderator: Pamela Andanda, Professor of Law, University of Witwatersrand Panelists: Clement Adebamowo, Professor, University of Maryland Medical School Josephine Agyeman-Duah, Doctoral Researcher, University of Oxford Rosemary Musesengwa, Senior Researcher, University of Oxford |
Wed Aug 19 7:30 am EDT | 3:30 pm EAT |
Video Screening Optional screening of pre-recorded videos which will also be posted on the symposium website and Virtual Forum in advance. You may join at this time or view the videos at your convenience prior to the event. |
Wed Aug 19 9-11 am EDT | 4-6 pm EAT |
Data Ecosystems and Gateways to Foster Research Community Networks Across Africa Moderator: Katherine Lawrence, Research Area Specialist Lead and Research Investigator, University of Michigan Panelists: Nicola Mulder, Professor and head of the Computational Biology, University of Cape Town; PI of H3ABioNet Benedict Paten, Associate Professor, Biomolecular Engineering, UCSC Geoffrey Siwo, Research Assistant Professor, University of Notre Dame Russ Taylor, Professor of Astronomy, University of Cape Town Susan Veldsman, Director, Scholarly Publishing Unit, Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) |
Thurs Aug 20 8-9 am EDT | 3-4 pm EAT |
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Thurs Aug 20 9-10 am EDT | 4-5 pm EAT |
FOA Office Hours: Research Training Program Open Q&A related to one of the four DS-I Africa funding opportunity announcements |
Fri Aug 21 8-9 am EDT | 3-4 pm EAT |
FOA Office Hours: Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research Open Q&A related to one of the four DS-I Africa funding opportunity announcements |
Fri Aug 21 9-10 am EDT | 4-5 pm EAT |
FOA Office Hours: Open Data Science Platform and Coordinating Center Open Q&A related to one of the four DS-I Africa funding opportunity announcements |
This page last reviewed on October 28, 2020