Three ITM alumni win Global Research Award of the province of Antwerp
Thirteen students from seven Antwerp higher education institutions won this year’s Global Research Award of the province of Antwerp. Among the laureates, three ITM alumni received the award. With this award, the province honours research projects that shed light on global challenges, ranging from climate change and unequal working conditions to access to healthcare for migrants.
"As a province, we bring people and expertise together, including across borders. What happens thousands of kilometres away often has consequences for our lives here. The research projects we are honouring today make this very tangible: from health and migration to sustainability, war and international trade. With this award, we give young researchers a boost, while also drawing attention to new insights that can benefit our society and our policy," says deputy Jinnih Beels.
"This award confirms that research into health worldwide is never an isolated field, but is closely intertwined with climate, migration and other global themes," says Dr Özge Tunçalp, Executive Director of ITM. "We are proud that once again three of our alumni are being recognised for research that translates knowledge into commitment to a fairer and healthier world."
The ITM winners
Mohamed Elzemety
Master in Public Health (MPH)
Barbora Píšová
Master in Tropical Medicine (MTM)
Anna-Leigh Sharl La Reservee
Master in Global One Health (MGOH)
Mohamed Elzemety
Mohamed Elzemety (Egypt) received the award for his graduation project 'Negotiating access to healthcare for migrants in precarious legal status in selected Swana countries: A critical interpretive synthesis.'
Through a critical interpretive synthesis of 47 documents covering five countries in the Swana region (Southwest Asia and North Africa), Mohamed shows that access to healthcare for migrants in precarious settings is not a given, but an ongoing process of negotiation, shaped by factors such as legal status, available resources and fragmented health systems.
Curious how access to care for migrants really comes about? Mohamed Elzemety shares his insights in his webinar on 25 September.
Barbora Píšová
Barbora Píšová (Czech Republic) received the award for her graduation project 'Retrospective Evaluation of Patient Monitoring Practices for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Cases Treated with Systemic Sodium Stibogluconate at Arba Minch General Hospital, Ethiopia.'
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical skin disease that is common in Ethiopia and is treated with an outdated, toxic drug with numerous side effects. After three months of data collection in Ethiopia, Barbora mapped out the monitoring practices during this treatment and the associated side effects, with the aim of contributing to safer and more accessible treatment for patients.
Curious about her findings on safer treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis? Barbora shares her insights in her webinar on 13 October.
Anna-Leigh Sharl La Reservee
Anna-Leigh Sharl La Reservee (South Africa) received the award for her graduation project 'Molecular characterisation of Bacillus anthracis and other spore-forming bacteria at the wildlife-livestock interface of the Ngorongoro conservation area in Tanzania.'
Using techniques such as MLVA, Anna-Leigh characterised samples from suspected anthrax cases and related bacteria from African countries to gain insights into their genetic diversity. Such genotyping is crucial in areas with limited surveillance and laboratory capacity, and provides information that fits within a One Health approach. A notable finding was the presence of Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that closely resembles anthrax but behaves differently in the host and responds differently to antibiotics, an insight of significant value for public health.
Curious how to distinguish these bacteria from one another and why it matters? Anna-Leigh shares her insights in her webinar on 10 November.
Alumni webinars
The winners are happy to share their research findings with you. Mark these dates in your calendar!
News
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With this award, the province honours the research of thirteen promising young researchers. -
The award puts global research in the spotlight.
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Press releases
Four ITM alumni win the 2024 Global Research Award
Each year, the Province of Antwerp presents the Global Research Award to encourage research on global issues. The main criteria for evaluation include the development relevance, quality, and originality of the graduation project. The award ceremony took place in the presence of Minister Gennez. -
The award ceremony, preceded by a press conference, took place on Wednesday 13 September 2023.
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The Province of Antwerp has been awarding students for 25 years
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Four former students received the honor for their master's thesis.
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