Annual Scientific Meeting
CAIHR held its Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) at its Tropical Metabolism Research Unit in Jamaica June 26 – 28, 2024. CAIHR is a regional centre of excellence in health research and our Annual Scientific Review provides an opportunity for members of the Institute to come together and share their research activities as well as discuss plans for future studies and areas of collaboration. It also provides an opportunity to discuss the research strategy for the Institute and the many issues that help to support the execution and sustainability of our work.
Our external reviewer was Dr Anne Sumner, Senior Investigator and Chief of the Section on Ethnicity and Health in the Diabetes, Endocrinology and Obesity Branch of the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Projects that form part of the three Programmes of work in the Institute were presented and discussed over the course of the three days.
We received commendations on the scope and relevance of our research activities locally, regionally and internationally and were urged to be more proactive in raising the visibility profile of our work.
We were encouraged to improve awareness of the health conditions our work addressed (hypertension and heart disease, cancer, nutrition, mental health, violence, child development, climate change); and showcase the global reach of the Institute in the countries within the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, especially those in which CAIHR has been called upon to provide guidance because of our expertise. The clinical work of the Sickle Cell Unit was lauded for its excellence in the management of Sickle Cell Disease.
Dr Anne Sumner and her assistant with CAIHR’S academic staff and young researchers
Dr Sumner has volunteered to return for an intensive career building workshop for our students and early career investigators as part of a special mentorship program to strengthen their research and networking skills.
