A Researcher from Armauer Hansen Research Institute in Ethiopia
on exchange to KTH, The Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden.
HOLICARE project implements a research exchange programme between consortium partners. Researchers from Sub Saharan Africa are selected for study visits to research institutions in Europe. Since the project started in 2022, seven researchers were selected for research exchange through secondments by their home institutions.
Sosina Ayalew who completed her research exchange visit at KTH shared her research experience. Sosina is presently an associate researcher in health biotechnology at AHRI. The purpose of her visit was to perform scientific experiments that are part of her PhD research. She visited KTH to specifically identify serum protein markers for the diagnosis of Tuberculosis (TB). “We shipped a serum sample from Ethiopia and performed the analysis at KTH’s SciLifeLab.” At the SciLifeLab, Sosina received training on Olink Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) technology. “The training and the lab experiments went well. I received two valuable lessons. I learned how to perform affinity-based proteomics analysis using the Olink platform, and how to perform basic R-based data analysis. I am currently working on a manuscript to publish research findings.”
After her exchange visit Sosina believes that HOLICARE secondments have great potential for creating high impact research and research collaborations. “The exchange visit got me an opportunity to carry out high-impact research in the field of biomarker-based TB diagnostics. I also meet experts in the field and established new connections with potential future collaborators. I believe when the manuscript is published, it will contribute to research in the field of protein biomarker-based TB diagnosis.”
HOLICARE’s research exchange program has significantly enhanced scientific collaboration and expertise. These secondments foster high-impact research and future collaborations, driving innovation in health biotechnology and biomarker-based disease diagnostics.
