To mark its 5th year anniversary, The College Research and Innovation Hub (CRIH) of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (COMUI), held her second scientific conference on Friday, 16th and Saturday, 17th of August 2024, at the Paul Hendrickse Lecture Theatre, UCH.
The first day of the Conference, themed “From Bench to Bedside,” began with an introduction to esteemed guests: Professor Iruka Okeke, Professor Mayowa Owolabi, Professor Ogunniyi Adesola and Dr. Boluwatife Adewale.
The President of CRIH, Tobi Olajide, delivered the opening address titled “past milestones, present momentum, and future frontiers.” laying the groundwork for a day focused on the evolution of CRIH and the future potential of undergraduate research in Nigeria. Afterwards, Professor Iruka Okeke from the Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology took the stage for her presentation, “Translating Undergraduate Scientific Research into Real-World Applications”. Using examples like Thomas Hunt Morgan’s work and the Blackawton bee study conducted by schoolchildren, she underscored the importance of research. Prof. Okeke addressed questions about the feasibility of high-impact undergraduate research, emphasizing the importance of mentorship in bridging the knowledge gap between undergraduate and postgraduate students in research labs.
The event transitioned into a research panel session led by Prof. Mayowa Owolabi. The panel addressed critical topics such as funding and opportunities for undergraduate research. Prof. Owolabi stressed the need for adequate funding and proposed that the Federal Government establish a dedicated undergraduate research fund through TETFUND, as well as undergraduate research hubs and centers across universities in Nigeria. These centers, he suggested, “would serve as melting pots for research ideas and collaborations among students from diverse fields such as medicine, public health, engineering, mathematics, and economics“. He also shared personal insights into his passion for genomics, machine learning, and neurology, describing how his childhood curiosity and fascination with science led him to a career in these cutting-edge fields. He highlighted the potential of genomics and precision medicine in developing personalized treatments for diseases.
The event concluded with an exciting Interjournal Quiz at 5:20 PM, featuring the nine journal clubs of CRIH, marking an end to a day of insightful discussions and celebrations.
Day 2 of the scientific conference began with an abstract presentation by an attendee from Ladoke Akintola University on the topic “Virtual reality intervention among Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patients”.
Afterwards, the judges for the inter-journal club manuscript presentation; Dr. Gbolahan Obajimi and Dr. O.V Olalusi, were introduced. Six journal clubs presented manuscripts of research works. These are Cardiology-A, Public Health-B, Neuroscience-A, Child and Maternal Health, Neuroscience-B and Public Health-A journal clubs. At the end of the presentation, the Neuroscience-B journal club came first after presenting a manuscript on the topic – “Social media induced technostress: effects on cognition, academic performance and sleep quality among medical, dental and physiotherapy students at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan”. While Neuroscience-A and Public health-B clubs came second and third positions respectively.
The crux of Day Two of the CRIH conference was the speech by the grand patron, Professor Rufus Akinyemi who spoke about the need to incorporate the community into the transition- from bench to bedside to the community. He emphasized “the crucial need to bridge the gap between research and community, urging student researchers to collaborate with experts and transform innovative ideas into tangible solutions“, offering glimpses into his groundbreaking research projects.
Immediately after the grand patron’s speech, there was a short presentation by Mrs Aliyu Eunice from the Latunde Odeku Medical Library on how to go about the creation of students’ ‘UpToDate’ account, emphasizing the free subscription made available to students of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan.
Moving on, there was a Digital Health Innovation Panel discussion titled: ‘Disruptive innovations in digital health; case studies and insight’. The panel, comprising Dr. Olusina Ajidahun (aka The Bearded Dr. Sina), Dr. Simpa Dania, and Mrs. Esther Okonne, delved into the transformative power of digital health, sharing real-world examples and expert insights.
As the two-day Scientific conference drew to a close, the anniversary celebration was marked by the cutting of the anniversary cake and presentation of several awards. The grand patron and panelists were honored with honorary awards. Professor Iruka Okeke and Professor Mayowa Owolabi were awarded plaques for their service and excellence in recognition of their contributions to research and education. The Professor Ogunniyi Award for Excellence in Research was presented to two members of the recently inducted class of 2024; Dr Abdulhameed Babatunde and Dr Togunwa Taofeeq. Awards were also presented to the winners of the Inter-Journal Cub quiz as well as Inter-Journal Club manuscript presentation.
Oluwagbolade Ajiboro
Thomas Jolly
