What does it take to rebuild scientific capacity after crises? And what does rebuilding look like for those most affected?

Seeding Labs will address these questions and more at the 2nd Annual “Better Together” event. Bringing together scientists, academics, and development experts, this event focuses on the personal experiences and professional challenges of building scientific infrastructure in crisis-affected areas — and the role all of us can play in supporting that work. 

Hiba Gafar, a lecturer at the University of Gezira and a PhD candidate at King's College London, will share her experiences helping to rebuild scientific capacity at the institution where she trained and now works. Nearly every part of the University of Gezira was damaged from Sudan’s ongoing Civil War. Many of the faculty and students were among the 14 million people displaced by the conflict. 

Her story sets the stage for a panel discussion featuring organizations that support locally-driven efforts to strengthen science and health capacity in crisis-affected areas. Together, panelists will explore what it looks like to support local efforts without supplanting them, and how anyone — regardless of where they are — can contribute meaningfully to rebuilding science and medicine where it's needed most. 

Speakers Include:

• Hiba Gafar, Lecturer of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Gezira, Sudan

• Maja Carrion, Head of the Project Management Office at the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative

• Anmar Homeida, Strategic Technical Advisor at the Sudanese American Physicians Association

• Sarah Sceery, Deputy Director of Partnerships and Administration at Build Health International

• Christina Viola Srivastava, VP of Programs at Seeding Labs