The aim of ISEP is to define and implement a sustainable strategy to expand capacity in applied medical statistics in SSA.
The partnership is unique in focusing on career pathways for early-mid career applied medical statisticians who, lack career and skills development opportunities, and report isolation which can lead to poor job satisfaction and retention. The ISEP structure is grounded in principles of equitable partnerships, African-centred and embedded with management and leadership training.
By the end of the grant, ISEP will increase capacity by creating a network of 20-30 applied medical statisticians at several sub-Saharan Africa institutions. It will do this via:
- Improving the skill set of medical statisticians by focusing on a) peer-support; b) training in technical and transferrable skills including management training; c) creation of a pilot mentorship scheme.
- Training in medical statistics and epidemiology, led by ISEP statisticians, for students and non-statisticians through: a two-year MSc Medical Statistics Fellowship scheme, short courses, training of trainers and PhD supervision.
- Stakeholder engagement with Directors of ISEP partner and non-partner institutes, policymakers and youth.
Established in January 2024, the MRC-funded International Statistics and Epidemiology Partnership (ISEP) aims to address a long-standing shortage of trained and experienced statisticians required for the ongoing explosion of data relevant and important to human health in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
ISEP is unique in focusing on career pathways for early-mid career applied medical statisticians who, lack career and skills development opportunities, and report isolation which can lead to poor job satisfaction and retention. The ISEP structure is grounded in principles of equitable partnerships, African-centred and embedded with management and leadership training.
ISEP will increase capacity by creating a network of 20-30 applied statisticians at several SSA institutions: African Population Health Research Centre (APHRC), Kenya; The Health Research Unit, Zimbabwe (THRU-ZIM); Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit (MITU), Tanzania; MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit; MRC Unit The Gambia; Zambart, Zambia; the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, UK.
ISEP complements existing initiatives for strengthening capacity for medical statistics in SSA, and will improve:
- The skill set of medical statisticians by focusing on a) peer-support; b) training in technical and transferrable skills including management training; c) creation of a pilot mentorship scheme.
- Training in medical statistics and epidemiology, led by ISEP statisticians, for students and non-statisticians through: a two-year MSc Medical Statistics Fellowship scheme, short courses, training of trainers and PhD supervision.
- Stakeholder engagement with Directors of ISEP partner and non-partner institutes, policymakers and youth to: a) reinforce the benefits of statistical leadership at research institutes; b) raise awareness of medical statistics, health research and data analysis as careers, the role of data and, the importance of training and research to guide public health policy.
The intended impact of ISEP, is to create a fully African-led network of early-mid career statisticians by the end of 2028.
Helen
Weiss
Professor of Epidemiology
Emily
Webb
Prof of Medical Statistics & Epid
Sian
Floyd
Prof Medical Statistics and Epidemiology
Vicky
Simms
Associate Professor
Andrew
Abaasa
Associate Professor
Philip
Ayieko
Assistant Professor
Thomas
Gachie
Research Assist. in Medical Stats. & Epi
Nuredin
Mohammed
Associate Professor
Agnes Kiragga
Head of Data Science Programme
Levicatus Mugenyi
Statistician
Agnes
Natukunda
Research Student - MPhil/PhD - Epidemiology & Population Health
Neema Mosha
Medical Statistician and Research Associate
Eveline Konje
Research Associate
Tafadzwa
Madanhire
Research Student - MPhil/PhD - Epidemiology & Population Health
Abdul Khalie
Muhammad
MRC - Statistician*
Gaetan Kotanmi
Research Assistant
Frank Kiroro
PhD Student
Sylvia Muyingo
Biostatistician
Elizabeth George
Senior Research Fellow, Statistician / UCL CTU
Dawn Duke
Head of Programmes / African Research Excellence Fund
Catherine Kansiime
Researcher Development Manager / African Research Excellence Fund
James
Carpenter
Professor of Medical Statistics
Jane Hutton
Professor of Medical Statistics / African Institute for Medical Sciences (AIMS) & University of Warwick
Tobias Chirwa
Programme Director SSACAB / Head of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics - School of Public Health of the University of the Witwatersrand
Kokou Alinon
Principal Technical Officer / Africa CDC
Thomas Achia
President, IBS Kenya / International Biometric Society / Sub-Saharan Africa Network
John Whittaker
Director, Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit / University of Cambridge / MRC UK
Sarah
Harman
Research Programme Manager
Zofia
Kicinova
Project Coordinator
Miriam
Abdulla
Research Fellow
The International Statistics and Epidemiology Partnership (ISEP) MSc in Medical Statistics Fellowship Scheme is for students from sub-Saharan Africa and comprises of one year of MSc study, followed by a year’s placement at one of ISEP’s partner research centres in Africa: MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit; Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit (MITU); ZAMBART; THRU-Zim Biomedical Research Training Institute; African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC); MRC Unit at The Gambia, LSHTM.
All fellowship places are funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and will support fellows to study for the MSc degree in Medical Statistics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
Applications are now open for a September 2025 start. Find out more about the fellowships.
Launch Event: MRC International Statistics & Epidemiology Partnership
Thursday 24 October 2024
Speakers debated strategies to strengthen capacity in applied medical statistics in Africa during the MRC International Statistics Epidemiology Partnership launch event.
Join our College of Experts
What is the ISEP College of Experts?
The College is a group of experienced statisticians and epidemiologists who support ISEP’s partnership activities, with the goal of building and sustaining a robust network of applied medical statisticians across Africa.
What is the role of the College of Experts?
The role of the College of Experts is primarily to mentor and support statisticians working at the ISEP partner research institutes (“ISEP statisticians”) on technical and transferrable skills-development. It is also an opportunity for College of Expert members to benefit from, for example, furthering their transferable skills and increasing opportunities for future collaborations. The contribution of the College of Expert can be on an ad-hoc or more regular basis, for a pre-determined duration.
Roles may include:
- Mentorship through a structured mentoring programme (one hour training plus 4 meetings with a mentee for a one-year period).
- Leading or contributing to webinars on technical or disease topics, e.g. updates on new software and methods.
- Reviewing grant applications written by ISEP statisticians.
- Contributing to teaching on a short course, either online or at one of our research institutes in Africa.
- Provide advice from their professional experience (e.g. for grant applications).
Who can join the College?
Experience: working as an applied medical statistician or epidemiologist, preferably with experience in a global setting. Level of experience and expertise will depend on which area you wish to support in.
Is there an expected level of commitment for College members?
Mentors are asked to commit approximately 5 hours per year to the role. There is no fixed commitment for others, but the role may involve contributing to one webinar or other activity per year.
Members of the College will be reviewed annually according to ISEP statisticians' needs and wants and work package priorities.
How can people join ISEP College of Experts?
If you are interested in joining our College of Experts, fill in the expression of interest form.