‘The visit has given me a global perspective of clinical research'

How did you find out about this opportunity?

Samim: I found out about this opportunity in September 2024 through a message on Teams from UCL's Research Coordination team in RIGE (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement) and an email from the JRO Comms team. There was also information available on the UCL website.

My line manager urged me to apply since it was a great opportunity to learn about research management and clinical trials in South Africa.

What did the visit involve?

Samim: The visit involved flying to South Africa in the week of 16^th November to spend 2.5 days at the University of Witwatersrand (WITS) in Johannesburg and 2.5 days at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The aim of the visit was to work shadow and exchange knowledge on the systems and processes involved in research management at both institutions.

Meetings were set up for discussions and we were taken to various departments and institutes at the universities such as the Neurosciences Institute at University of Cape Town (UCT). It was interesting so see the portfolio of research in neurosciences similar to that of UCL's Institute of Neurology.

We also had the opportunity to spend time with research and professional services staff in South Africia outside of the work environment and build on working relationships.

What did you learn whilst you were over there and what was the most enjoyable part of the visit?

Samim: The visit involved meeting with representatives from various teams and departments at each university. This included representatives from the Finance team, Contracting, Research Ethics and also meeting with senior management of the faculty or institute.

I learned about the process of applying for funding and grant management as well as the areas of research at each university. I found that the processes were very similar to those at UCL. It was interesting to see that both WITS and UCT are active in clinical and medical research with more of a focus on treating infectious diseases.

A visit to an active research site at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in the Soweto area of Johannesburg was organised and it was great to see how the hospital conducts clinical trials at their site.

A visit to the VUKA centre in Khayelitsha area of Cape Town was also organised. This centre focusses on clinical trials in infectious diseases, and it was great to see this research site in action. It was interesting to learn how they have built this centre in the heart of the deprived and underprivileged community in order to make the clinical trial treatments accessible to the local community.

There are many challenges that are faced with conducting clinical trials in a low middle income country with limited infrastructure and equipment and I have had the opportunity to see firsthand how they mitigate these challenges successfully, producing high quality research.

Whilst the majority of the sessions were based on Research Management, we did have an opportunity to visit the Evolutionary Studies Institute at WITS and be given a tour of their collection of primate, hominid and animal fossils. It was good to see the other areas of research (non-clinical/non-medical) taking place at the university. The highlight for me at the Evolutionary Studies Institute was seeing an actual fossil of dinosaur eggs!

What can you take from the visit that will help you in your role?

Samim: The visit was a fantastic opportunity to see the functionality of two great organisations in South Africa.

The visit has given me a global perspective of clinical research and the challenges faced in different regions of the world. It was great to see how we all work to align to principles of Good Clinical Practice and regulatory requirements. The fellowship has given me a wider perspective of the ethical and logistical challenges of setting up research in a low and middle income country such as South Africa.

The visit has given me the opportunity to build relationships with the institutes in order to hopefully collaborate on future research projects and clinical trials.

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