Program funded in part by an independent educational grant from Pfizer’s Institute of Translational Equitable Medicine (ITEM)
Villgro Africa, with a generous financial support in the form of an independent educational grant from Pfizer’s Institute of Translational Equitable Medicine (ITEM) is thrilled to announce the launch of the East Africa Biosciences Studio Initiative. This transformative initiative is a first of its kind in the region by promoting African localization of biopharma value chains whereby researchers and innovators are empowered to use African-sourced genomic data to generate commercially viable data and inventions that target regional and global markets which may help advance global health equity.
Through this Studio initiative, we aim to catalyse breakthroughs in science and technology by fostering multidisciplinary and multidimensional collaboration among leading researchers and innovators. Together, we will address the urgent need for enhanced accuracy, accessibility, and personalisation of cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Recent genomic advancements have revolutionised our understanding of cancer biology, presenting new opportunities for early intervention. For this initiative, selected participants are being asked to develop innovative solutions, including policy innovations and biotech innovations such as identifying biomarkers, genetic signatures, and molecular pathways associated with cancer, and using cutting-edge technologies to integrate genomic data with advanced computational tools for precision diagnosis and treatment.
Pfizer’s independent educational grant will support the winning teams for three-month innovation fellowship at the East Africa Biosciences Studio that is jointly hosted by Villgro Africa and The Africa Genome Centre and Consultancy Ltd (TAGCC) in Nairobi, Kenya and started in September 2024.
We are proud to welcome the support from Pfizer’s Institute of Translational Equitable Medicine that brings not just financial resources but deep sector expertise in product discovery and development to support the cohort of The East Africa Biosciences Studio innovators to realize their potential. By fostering a robust ecosystem for life science startups, we are empowering scientists and engineers to develop solutions that address Africa’s most pressing healthcare challenges, including cancer.
We are also grateful for the continued support of our partners TAGCC, The Lemelson Foundation, Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) and the Coalition for Health Research & Development (CHReaD).