A Medical Laboratory Science lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Dr. Rebecca Chinyelu Chukwuanukwu, recently emerged the first prize winner of this year’s UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit (UNESCO-MARS) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Dr Chukwuanukwu, whose area of specialization is Immunology, beat 99 other scientists/researchers from all over Africa who attended the summit.

The annual summit is a platform for young top researchers from across all the countries in Africa to discuss the generation, sharing and dissemination of research data and to prepare for the road ahead in Africa’s development as an international hub for research excellence and scientific innovation.

This year’s summit focused on building research capacity in health and life sciences with special attention on Ebola and emergent infectious diseases.

Chukwuanukwu’s work on: Modulation of the Immune Response to Mycobacterium Tuberculosis during HIV/Malaria Co-infection won the first prize which comes with a prestigious six months fellowship in Merck research and development hub.