Meet our 2024 Annual Competition Honorees

Current Research: Assessing the delivery of HIV PrEP for Nigerian Youths Through a Co-developed Digital Platform : A mixed-methods study

Biography: I got my Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria, with a particular interest in global public health. Outside my institution, I have also completed courses on implementation science and research with a focus on Infectious Diseases of Poverty from the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) and at the African Regional Training Centre, University of Ghana School of Public Health. In addition, I have completed courses from the University of Washington on the Clinical Management of HIV and Leadership in Global Health. I have many awards and honors to my name, including the most recent Diana Awards 2023 for my leadership in combating antimicrobial resistance in Africa through youth leadership and community engagement. I have received travel scholarships to present my research abstracts at summits and conferences, including the International AIDS Society Conference in Brisbane, Australia and the Global Health Network Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. Lastly, I have also completed an internship program at the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN), where I gained first-hand experience in data analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning. '

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How will your work assist those in underserved geographic regions?

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My research is highly relevant to the involvement of diverse and underserved geographic regions in Nigeria. By adopting a youth-driven, mixed-methods approach and co-developing a digital platform, I am actively engaging with adolescents from different regions, including those in remote or marginalized areas that may have limited access to essential health information and services. The platform's privacy and safety aspects ensure inclusivity and encourage participation from youths who might be hesitant to seek information through traditional means.  This study would involve a large and heterogeneous sample of over 5,000 young people from diverse geographic and economic regions, designed to ensure that youth voices are driving innovations in HIV/AIDS.

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Current Research: Using Geospatial Technologies for sustainable development and environmental monitoring

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Biography: Uyen is a student in the Engineering Design and Drafting Technology program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic and will be pursuing a degree in Information Technology. My passion for geospatial technologies started in my second year of the program when I was introduced to geographic
information systems (GIS). I’m currently doing an internship as a student research assistant in
Geospatial Technologies at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Our research includes analyzing remote
sensing data, acquired through satellites and drones, extracting land-use/land-cover (LULC)
information, and performing temporal analysis and environmental impact assessment. In many of our projects, we are working directly with First Nations communities in Canada.

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How will your work assist those in underserved geographic regions?
My research involves mapping the natural environment on First Nations reserves, such as water
bodies, grasslands, and wetlands, as well as the manmade environment. By collaborating with
First Nations communities, we are also able to identify areas of cultural and historical significance, such as hunting grounds, ceremonial areas, and areas of medicinal vegetation.
Compiling all acquired information, our final product will be open-source web-based maps, open for use by anyone in the community. This will become an efficient asset management system, helping communities to adopt digital governance. In addition, using satellite imagery, we will identify areas prone to natural disasters such as floods and landslides, which will allow communities to make sustainable future development. Finally, and most importantly, as part of
our project, we are offering training to members of First Nations communities on how to build, operate, and update an inventory system. This will help them sustain and manage this asset management system in the future.