The University of Liverpool’s Computational Biology Facility (CBF) has announced the winner of its third International Women’s Day (IWD) Scholarship – an annual award which aims to bridge the gap for women in the field of data science.
Although data science is a field with high demand, statistics show that less than 25% of data science professionals are women. The IWD Scholarship aims to bridge the gap for women in the field of data science and allows access to all of the CBF’s professional courses for a period of five years alongside peer-to-peer support.
This year’s winner, Lamis Yahia Mohamed Elkheir, has a background in molecular medicine and is currently studying for her PhD. Following a career break induced by the war in Sudan, Lamis is looking to rekindle her passion for neglected tropical disease research through data science methodologies.
Lamis said: ”As a woman in science from Sudan, a conflict-affected region, my role as an academic at the University of Khartoum and a researcher at the Mycetoma Research Center has fuelled my dedication to not only educate future health professionals but also to champion open science through the African Reproducibility Network. Receiving this scholarship amplifies my commitment to tackling Neglected Tropical Diseases and underscores the critical need for innovative healthcare solutions in underserved regions. This honour not only recognises my efforts but also enhances my capacity to make a meaningful difference in global health, inspiring hope and driving forward the mission to protect the most vulnerable.”
Dr Megan Hasoon, CBF Data Scientist said: “On behalf of the CBF, I’d like to extend my congratulations to Lamis. We had lots of fantastic applications, which made it difficult to select a winner.
“We’re delighted to be able to support Lamis on her journey into data science and hope we can help make her chosen career path a reality.
“Lamis is now the third recipient of our IWD Scholarship, with previous winners already taking full advantage of the award! Last year’s winner Shakila has completed our R for Beginners course and is starting to build her confidence coding in R. The scholarship has helped her secure a Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowship where she will continue to build her data science skillset. We are already looking forward to next year’s iteration and receiving the applications from women aspiring to get into data science!”