Two scientists at the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) have been selected to become Affiliate members of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) from 2020-2024.
The two, Dr. Lydia Mosi and Dr. Yaw Bediako, who were competitively selected as part of a 40-member fifth cohort of AAS Affiliates, will receive professional development support in grant writing, publishing, science communication, ethical conduct of research, intellectual property issues, collaborative research, scientific leadership and entrepreneurship, mentoring and networking.
Dr. Lydia Mosi, Head of Logistics at WACCBIP
“It's a great honour for me to be selected as an AAS Affiliate,” said Dr. Mosi, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Biochemistry, Cell & Molecular Biology at the University of Ghana and Head of Logistics at WACCBIP. “I have a positive outlook on the prospects of further career grooming, networking with other African scientists and future research opportunities and collaborations. Most importantly, I am optimistic about the opportunity to contribute to the training and mentoring of the next generation of young African scientists.”
The AAS' Affiliates programme seeks to contribute to the Academy's mandate to build a critical mass of thriving science leaders in Africa by highlighting high-achieving post-PhD researchers, with the aim of inspiring younger researchers to pursue careers in science. Highly competitive, the 2019 call received more than 300 applications from across the continent, from where 40 highly regarded researchers were selected.
AAS Affiliates are respected researchers who strengthen and build Africa's scientific community by being innovators, reviewers, supervisors, mentors, lecturers, volunteers, and policy advisors. Drs. Mosi and Bediako were two of only four Ghanaian researchers to be selected into the fifth cohort, which will join an existing network of 87 Affiliates drawn from various African countries, across several scientific disciplines.
Dr. Yaw Bediako, Head of Advancement at WACCBIP
“I am very grateful to have been selected for such a recognition by the AAS,” said Dr. Bediako, Head of Advancement at WACCBIP. “The AAS Affiliates programme provides a mentorship environment within which I will be able to learn important leadership skills crucial to success as an African research leader. Beyond my own career, I am passionate about inspiring young Africans to aspire to become world-changing scientists. Being showcased as an AAS Affiliate will hopefully inspire other young Africans to be ambitious in their dreams, believing that with hard work and perseverance there is no reason they cannot achieve great success in science.”
