The Liverpool Centre for Global Health Research (LCGHR) held an Annual Meeting for Liverpool Clinical PhD Programme (LCPP) Fellows and colleagues at the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme (MLW) in Blantyre between 10-11 June 2025.
The two-day programme combined technical talks with professional development, with the agenda grouped into four distinct themes: ‘Research Culture and Practice’, ‘Research Funding and Impact’, ‘Career Development’ and ‘Science’.
Attendees were welcomed into the brand-new state-of-the-art lecture theatre within the recently opened CREATOR; a £10m facility in the heart of the MLW campus designed to transform the future of medical research and training in Malawi.
The meeting brought together UK-registered Liverpool Clinical PhD Programme Fellows who are currently conducting research in Africa, Malawian early career researchers, senior academics from Liverpool and Malawi, and guest speakers from Uganda and South Africa. The programme was busy, but included plenty of time for stimulating discussion and networking opportunities.
Talks included a keynote on Decolonising Global Health, followed by a thought-provoking tactile activity around positionality and power delivered by Shehnaz Munshi (MPH). Other talks included practical advice and real-world examples around avoiding common pitfalls in qualitative research (Dame Tina Lavender), embedding CEI into research (Milcah Mwamadi), engaging with policy makers (Marlen Chawani and Melody Sakala), and promoting equitable partnerships in research (Kate Mangulama and Kondwani Jambo).
The Science session included a talk on building sepsis research networks in Sub-Saharan Africa delivered by Dr Shevin Jacob, plus updates from historic, current, or recently finished Fellows. Fellow talks included practical advice around the complexities of doing a global health PhD, building an academic identity, and navigating the often-non-linear transition from PhD candidate to independent researcher.
The meeting concluded with an opportunity for current LCPP Fellows to reflect on their experiences of being part of the long-running doctoral training programme and provide suggestions and feedback to help shape a future iteration of the scheme.
Professor Dame Tina Lavender, LCPP co-director said: “The meeting provided a fantastic opportunity to bring early career researchers and senior academics from across the African continent together at a global health centre of excellence. MLW provided the perfect backdrop to meet our objectives which were: to facilitate collaboration and promote discussion, enhance understanding and improve knowledge, showcase learning and potential for impact, and enjoy the experience!.”
Dr Keli Gerken, LCPP Fellow said: “I’m based at the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya earning my PhD in One Health and Epidemiology. The meeting was a great opportunity to share my research with colleagues and network in-person with others working in the region. It was especially great to hear from the research teams and staff at MLW, and I was really impressed with their structured support systems for CEI and policy engagement. As I finish my PhD and take the next step on my academic journey, I hope that relationships forged this week will lead to future collaborations on One Health projects.”
The Liverpool Clinical PhD Programme is directed by Professor Neil French and funded by Wellcome. LCPP awards fully funded 3-year fellowships to individuals aspiring to become clinical academics, with a specific focus on addressing Health Priorities in the Global South. LCPP is governed and managed by LCGHR, a collaboration between the University of Liverpool and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, in partnership with MLW.
Fellows can choose to conduct their research at MLW, or any academically robust LMIC partner. Current partners hosting fellows include the University of Nairobi, the Kenya Medical Research Institute, the Kenya Snakebite Research and Intervention Centre, and BRTI Zimbabwe.
Initially funded in 2008, the programme has successfully supported 37 fellowships to completion, with a further 22 currently underway.
Read more about LCGHR and LCPP here: Liverpool Centre for Global Health Research | Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences | University of Liverpool