Miriam Mutebi, Breast Surgical Oncologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Research isn’t a solo sport. Collaboration is how ideas grow legs, cross borders, and become solutions that save lives.
The question is: how do we get better at it?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is this: brilliant research in isolation rarely changes lives.
Collaboration does.
Collaboration doesn’t happen automatically. It takes intentional effort to move from ‘working side by side’ to ‘truly working together.’
So, how do we collaborate better around research in Africa?
1. Start with shared questions
When we begin by asking, ‘What problem are we solving together?’ instead of ‘What’s my angle?’, we lay the groundwork for real synergy.
2. Value diversity of expertise
Biologists, clinicians, data scientists, policymakers, and even community voices all bring pieces of the puzzle. No single discipline can carry the whole. We are collectively moving to ‘team science’
3. Share data and credit openly
Trust grows when data flows freely and when every contributor, junior or senior, sees their work acknowledged.
4. Keep the patient at the center
The point of research isn’t publications alone; it’s better care. If collaboration doesn’t make the patient journey smoother, we need to rethink it.
Through the AORTIC-Africa Ubuntu Cancer Foundation, collaboration will embed the heartbeat of everything we do, whether through microgrants, our Journal, or capacity building.
Because no one institution, no one country, can solve Africa’s cancer research gap alone.
Better collaboration isn’t optional. It’s how we scale solutions, faster and further.”
More posts featuring Miriam Mutebi.