The fellowship has really impacted my career. I was working in a university as an Assistant Lecturer, but with the OWSD fellowship I am undertaking a PhD that will allow me to reach the grade of Senior Lecturer.

All this has broadened my knowledge for this domain of science, gave me an open mind and also allowed me to learn many things.

The OWSD award helped me not only to become the researcher I am today, but also to become a leader in research.

The long-awaited dream

What fascinated me is that only 5% of microorganisms are harmful, and the rest are beneficiary.

By creating links between food research and industry, she hopes to enhance food security both in Ghana and in Africa as a whole.

If we do research, in addition to establishing connections with other researchers, we must also communicate and do a lot of outreach in order to share our science with the community.

After my postdoc, I will return to Syria and work to achieve my big dream, which is to establish a research center.

In today’s scientific environment, in which most PhD scientists concentrate on a single specific discipline, I might shift toward a more systemic view to approach the challenge in infectious diseases.

Winning this award opened many doors for me. It has led to success in acquiring local funding.

Due to the war in Yemen, I had stopped studying for two years. This opportunity gave me the chance to complete my postgraduate studies.