The L’Oréal Foundation and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) proudly honoured Majidah Hamid-Adiamoh a higher scientific officer from the Disease Control and Eliminations Theme of the MRC Unit The Gambia with a Doctoral Fellowship of 5000 Euros. The 2015 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Fellowship award took place in South Africa on the 3rd of December 2015. Majidah is one of ten Africa’s female scientists from sub-Saharan Africa honoured with the Doctoral Fellowship. Recipients from other sub-Saharan countries who also received the award include South Africa and Kenya. Majidah is a scientific officer working within the malaria group at the MRC Unit The Gambia. Majidah joined The Unit in 2004 working on malaria molecular parasitology and entomology project. She was selected to receive a L'Oreal-UNESCO Fellowship For Women in Science to enable her to undertake her PhD project to investigate the role of host factors in gametocyte density during asymptomatic malaria infection at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. The laboratory analyses will be done at MRC Unit The Gambia.

Majidah is one of 12 recipients selected because of the great diversity of her research. ”This year’s Sub-Saharan African Fellows, highlighted the changing face of scientific research and the new disciplines that are continually emerging, forging the next generation For Women in Science fellows. These young researchers share the thrill of curiosity and discovery and are strong believers that science can change the world” Sandeep Rai, Managing Director of L’Oréal South Africa.

“I would like to congratulate Majidah for this success which demonstrates her commitment to scientific research. It also shows The Unit’s effort for creating a favorable environment in which young scientists can grow and become independent researchers. I am particularly happy that Majidah won this specific award which recognizes and promote women in science. As a Unit, we are committed to decreasing the barriers limiting the opportunities for staff to pursue a scientific career”, said Professor Umberto Dalessandro Umberto, Unit Director, MRC Unit The Gambia.

For more information about L'Oreal-UNESCO and the For Women in Science program visit http://www.fwis.fr