Partnership developement Partnership development for better clinical research : The UCRC received Ian Lipkin and Lisa Hensey

The UCRC received on Monday February 11th, 2019, a two people team mission from the US. The mission included:  Mr. Ian Lipkin, Professor of Epidemiology, Neurology and Pathology at Colombia University, and Lisa Hensey, microbiologist, Associate Director of Science at the Office of the Chief Scientist, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease integrated Research Facility in Frederick, Maryland.

The mission aimed to visit the University Clinical Research Center, discuss with the headquarters and develop a potential partnership for better clinical research. The two people team was welcomed at the UCRC meeting room by Pr. Seydou DOUMBIA, UCRC Director; Mahamadou DIAKITE , UCRC Deputy Scientific Director; Abdoulaye Djimdé MRTC (Malaria Research and Training Center)Director.

After a brief presentation of the center by the UCRC Director, Pr. Djimdé completed with some focus on the background, the vision and the mission of UCRC, and the ways of improvement of the center in the future. Djemdé also said that Research in African countries in not easy due the lack of resources. Researchers think a lot about budget which is the main key for research works.

Dr. Ian Lipkin added that ways must be found to make the work less costly. Such as developing sequencing infrastructures on place that help work on samples at “home” without taking them to US, China, or Korea. And by so doing, it would be very good first to build capacity of some people of the maintenance of those kinds of sequencing materials as well. He said that having a sequencing equipment in Mali will offer an opportunity to the surrounding and even other African countries to come with their samples in Mali instead of taking them abroad.

After discussing for about 1:30mn in the UCRC meeting room, the visitor team was taken out to see the UCRC capacities including the Laboratory. Before the Lab visit, the team was received at the UCRC laboratory conference room and Mr. Lipkin did a brief description on how a sequencing machine works. This was very useful for the staff in place which involved Djeneba Dabitao, Amadou Koné, Yeya Sarro, Bassirou Diarra, Fatoumata Coulibaly, and Dramane Diallo, Mahamadou Diakité.

The course last for 47 minutes and was followed by the visit of the laboratory and all the equipment on place. Mr. Lipkin and Lisa were able to see almost all the UCRC staff and capacity in term of research infrastructure.