Capacity Building in Sub-Saharan Africa via Core Physics (Spectroscopy) for Women’s Health Equity

This project is a physics-led initiative aimed at building sustainable research capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) through hands-on training in applied physics, optical spectroscopy, and data-driven innovation. SSA faces a critical shortage of local expertise in core physics areas such as spectroscopy, limiting the region’s ability to develop, maintain, and apply advanced scientific techniques. By empowering early-career researchers with practical skills in spectroscopy and analytical methods, this project promotes equitable scientific participation and strengthens the foundations for long-term innovation in health and technology.
The project will focus on developing low-cost, rapid, and non-invasive diagnostic tools for women’s health conditions, specifically ovarian cancer and endometriosis, which are often underdiagnosed in SSA. These conditions have significant health impacts and are exacerbated by limited awareness, delayed diagnosis, and lack of affordable medical tests. By integrating physics-led capacity building with applied medical diagnostics research, the project aims to bridge the gap between fundamental science and societal benefit, demonstrating how core physics knowledge can directly address pressing development challenges.
Project objectives:

Develop and optimise vibrational spectroscopy methods for detecting women’s health biomarkers in liquid biopsy samples using cell-line models as proof-of-concept.
Train early-career SSA researchers in optical spectroscopy, instrumentation, data analysis, and AI-assisted diagnostics through workshops, joint experiments, and mentoring.
Design a compact, signal-enhanced spectroscopic platform capable of detecting disease biomarkers efficiently and cost-effectively.
Foster equitable, long-term partnerships between UK and SSA institutions, enabling local leadership in applied physics research and biomedical innovation.

The research programme consists of interlinked work packages covering experimental...