Two researchers from the Maina Lab at the Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre (BioRTC), Dawoud Usman and Idris Audu Ibrahim, are currently undertaking advanced hands-on training in sequencing technologies at the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana, Accra.

The training is supported through Professor Mahmoud Bukar Maina’s Wellcome Trust Career Development Award, as part of BioRTC’s commitment to developing advanced genomic research capacity in Africa.

During the programme, Dawoud and Idris are gaining practical experience in the use of Oxford Nanopore and Illumina MiSeq sequencing platforms, including DNA library preparation, sequencing workflows, quality control, and downstream analysis.

The expertise gained will directly support BioRTC’s ongoing dementia research programme, particularly the sequencing of the APOE gene from participants enrolled in the Northern Nigeria Dementia Cohort. APOE is the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, and studying its distribution in African populations will help address major gaps in global dementia genetics research.

This training reflects BioRTC’s belief that sustainable scientific progress depends not only on infrastructure, but also on continuous investment in people. By equipping its researchers with cutting-edge genomics skills, BioRTC continues to strengthen African-led research capacity in precision medicine, neurodegeneration, and public health.

We wish Dawoud and Idris a productive training experience and look forward to the impact of this expertise on BioRTC’s genomics and dementia research programmes