A Scholarship, a Vision, and a Web Tool: Transforming Genomic Analysis

Abstract

This article recounts the experience of Deborah Neumbe, the first recipient of the Pauline Bakibinga Memorial Scholarship, established by APHRC in 2022 to support promising female master's students in East Africa pursuing research in digital health. The scholarship-supported project, rMAP-WEB, transformed a command-line bioinformatics tool for bacterial genomic analysis into a user-friendly web platform. The tool generates antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles, making it a valuable resource for AMR surveillance by health workers and public health researchers. By making the tool more accessible, the project bridges the gap between data generation and practical decision-making in healthcare, supporting APHRC's vision of transforming lives in Africa through research and innovation. The author reflects on the journey from application through fellowship to completion, highlighting the technical challenges of integrating software tools, the mentorship received, and the user training workshop organized for potential end-users including bioinformatics students, medical doctors, nurses, and molecular biologists. Looking ahead, the author aspires to expand rMAP-WEB to include additional pathogens of public health importance and to pursue a PhD focusing on tools that make genomic surveillance more accessible in Africa