Expanding the African Genomic Medicine Training Initiative (AGMT) through Specialized Training Modules (Dr Vicky Nembaware)

Dr Vicky Nembaware is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town. She is also the project manager and a co-investigator for Sickle Africa Data Coordinating Center (SADaCC). She started her research management and coordination roles in the Human Health and Heredity in Africa (H3Africa) consortium as a training manager. Dr Nembaware also has experience in study design, implementation, study monitoring and analysing big data. This experience was gained from working in the academic sector in genomics as well as in the public health sector for an non-governmental organisation. She is passionate about mentoring and training early- and mid-career investigators. To this end she was instrumental in the development of competencies for research managers in Africa through the SMARTLife project (funded by A) for which she was a PI, setting up the H3Africa Travel Fellowships & Internships, establishment of the African Genomic Medicine Training Initiative (AGMT) (trains healthcare workers in genomic medicine) and the mGenAfrica Programmes (promotes engagement between genomic researchers and high school learners). As a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town, she supervises postgraduate students in Data Science and genomics. In addition, she is a co-convener for the recently launched Masters in Computational Health Informatics, at the University of Cape Town. She is the current Secretary for the African Society of Human Genetics. She has also served on the several boards for genomics medicine networks and scientific. She earned her first degree in Chemistry and Microbiology from the University of Cape Town and then graduated Cum Laude for her Hons and MSc degrees from the University of Western Cape (South African Bioinformatics Institute). Vicky was awarded a PhD in Bioinformatics in 2008 from the University of Cape Town.