Science Summit 2024: Full Schedule

SCIENCE SUMMIT 2024: 17 - 27 September, New York

This Programme exclusively outlines the Science Summit events in New York from September 17th to 27th.
Participation is free of charge, but registration is required.
For those attending in person, please choose the in-person attendance option on the registration form so we can issue your pass.
For virtual attendees, once registered, you can join sessions by clicking at the circular checkbox icon next to each session on the event platform. Please ensure you select the sessions you wish to attend, as failure to do so will prevent access to the live stream.
You can customize your experience by creating your own schedule based on the sessions you are interested in.

9:00am EDT

Advancing the role of Women in Science for Sustainable Development in Africa: Lessons for Leadership of Higher Education Institutions

Wednesday September 18, 2024 9:00am - 2:00pm EDT

Science Summit venue (2nd floor)

The process of fundamental change in gender equity at African higher education institutions (HEIs) remains slow. Significant challenges include deeply entrenched cultural norms, inadequate policy implementation, and resource constraints. Key to the realization of gender equity is for countries, institutions, and individuals to act and invest in key areas that can have a multiplier effect on the career advancement of women researchers. Despite the slow pace, there are areas of progress - success stories from several programs, organizations, and leaders in Africa and globally on three dimensions of gender that we will share in this session. Firstly, in the institutional culture and policy dimension, we will hear experiences from Michigan State University, Makerere University, and the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) on the global and African leadership in promoting women's career progression. Secondly, the role of the Science Granting Councils initiative in Africa in strengthening the gender dimension of research will be shared. Finally, the role of partnerships between local and global funders and programs like African Futures will demonstrate the changing face of the researchers who receive funding, networking, and mentoring opportunities. Recommendations for scaling up these positive advancements, including opportunities for networking among different institutions to promote women's career advancement in HEIs, will be discussed.

Speakers

Dorothy Ngila

Director: Strategic Partneships, National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa

Dr Dorothy Ngila advances her career at South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) as a director in the Business Advancement division. She co-ordinates the NRF’s contribution to the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) in sub-Saharan Africa and advances the NRF’s... Read More →

Lorenza Fluks

Human Sciences Research Council

Dr Lorenza Fluks is a Senior Research Specialist at the Human Sciences Research Council’s Impact Centre in South Africa. She holds a PhD, Master's, and BPsych degrees in Psychology from Stellenbosch University. With a strong background in psychology and extensive experience in community... Read More →

Tony Milanzi (Moderator)

Michigan State University

Dr. Tony Milanzi is the Assistant Director, Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) at Michigan State University in the Malawi office. He is a social development professional with 20 years’ experience in international development working in a variety of roles including program management... Read More →

Michèle Mbo’o-Tchouawou

African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD)

Dr. Michèle Mbo’o-Tchouawou is a native of Cameroon and the Deputy Director for Programs, providing overall leadership in the development, management, strategy, quality, and managed growth of AWARD programs. She previously worked at the International Livestock Research Institute... Read More →

Barnabas Nawangwe

Makerere University

Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe is the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Africa’s premier university. He is a professor of architecture with special interest in vernacular architecture and environmental sustainability in the built environment.

Teresa Woodruff

Michigan State University

Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D. is a leader in higher education and an internationally recognized biologist specializing in reproductive science. Woodruff, President Emerita of Michigan State University (MSU), most recently served as interim president of Michigan State University, and prior... Read More →

Pulane Mswela

University of Botswana

Dr. Pulane Hannah Koosaletse-Mswela is an Environmental quality professional who is a microbiologist by training. Currently, she is a lecturer at the University of Botswana and her research activities include Environmental quality and pollution Control with special emphasis on water... Read More →

Evelyn Gitau

Science for Africa Foundation

Dr Evelyn Gitau is the Chief Scientific Officer for the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) where she provides strategic leadership and vision for the organisation's science portfolio. A seasoned scientist with over 20 years’ of experience in biomedical research, Evelyn... Read More →

Aminda Smith (Moderator)

Michigan State University

Aminda Smith is Co-Director of the Center for Gender in Global Context at Michigan State University. She oversees the Women’s and Gender Studies academic programs and facilitates outreach and engagement related to gender equity within the university and beyond. Her research explores... Read More →

Jose Jackson-Malete (Convenor)

Co-Director of the Alliance for African Partnerships, Michigan State University (MSU)

José Jackson-Malete is the Co-Director of the Alliance for African Partnerships (AAP) at Michigan State University, a new initiative established by the University to develop new, innovative ways of partnering with African institutions. She has responsibilities for establishing a... Read More →

Pulane presentation final pptx

Wednesday September 18, 2024 9:00am - 2:00pm EDT
Science Summit venue (2nd floor)

Women

8:00am EDT

Women in Science Policy-Making: Driving Inclusive and Equitable Decision-Making

Thursday September 26, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am EDT

Online

This session will explore the vital role of women in shaping science policy at national, regional, and global levels. Women’s participation in science policy-making is essential for ensuring that decisions reflect diverse perspectives and address the unique challenges women and other marginalized groups face in science, technology, and innovation (STI).

The discussion will highlight women's barriers to accessing leadership roles in science policy, including gender biases, structural inequalities, and limited access to networks of influence. Panelists will share strategies for overcoming these challenges and emphasize the importance of fostering inclusive policy environments where women can thrive as decision-makers.

This session aims to showcase how women’s leadership in science policy leads to more equitable and innovative outcomes through case studies, policy insights, and personal experiences. It will also address the need for targeted initiatives to support women in science policy, emphasizing mentorship, capacity-building, and policy reforms that promote gender equality in decision-making.

By the end of the session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how inclusive science policy benefits society and learn practical steps to empower more women to take leadership roles in shaping the future of science and technology governance.

Speakers

Declan Kirrane

Founder and Managing Director of ISC Intelligence in Science, ISC Intelligence in Science

Declan Kirrane, Founder and Managing Director of ISC Intelligence in Science.Has a background in analysing the relationship between public and private R&D funding and the impact on R&D performance he has worked extensively on science and technology policy evaluation methodologies... Read More →

Mei Lin

CEO, People Centered Internet

linkedin.com/in/meilinfung... Read More →

Marleen Temmerman (Convenor)

Professor, The Aga Khan University, Kenya

Prof Marleen Temmerman is Director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at Aga Khan University East-Africa and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi, Kenya. She has enormous experience in academia and political... Read More →

Rita Lawlor

Vice Director, ARC-Net, University of Verona, Italy

Rita Lawlor is a Computer Science graduate of Trinity College Dublin with a doctorate in Oncological Pathology from the University of Verona where she is co-founder of the ARC-Net (www.arc-net.it) applied cancer research centre where is director of the ARC-Net biobank and coordinates... Read More →

Dr Aletha De Witt

Director: Radio Astronomy Projects, Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), South Africa

Dr. Aletha de Witt is the Director of Radio Astronomy Projects at the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) in South Africa. With a PhD in Astrophysics, she specializes in advancing global reference frames through high-frequency interferometric observations using radio telescopes... Read More →

Nishka

UNGA Youth Parliament Lead

Nishka Sharma is a SWENexter who is passionate about promoting women in STEM and increasing student access to STEM fields.

Damaris Critchlow

Head of Editorial Engagement, MDPI

Damaris holds a bachelor’s degree with honours in Philosophy and a master’s in European Philosophy from the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, UK.Before joining MDPI, Damaris worked as a Journal Manager at Frontiers, where she was responsible for the performance... Read More →

Thursday September 26, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
Online

Women, Inclusion

8:00am EDT

Too many preventable breast-cancer deaths in LMICs: innovative approaches to improve early diagnosis to reduce mortality

Friday September 27, 2024 8:00am - 9:30am EDT

TBA

Globally, a mother, a wife, a daughter, and a sister die every minute from breast cancer. Breast cancer is the leading cause of female cancer death in most of the world. Eighty per cent of this cancer burden is in low- and- middle-income countries (LMICs) where only 5% of the global funding is available. The WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative has three key pillars to solve the challenges in breast cancer care, including health promotion, early detection, timely diagnosis, and comprehensive breast cancer management. We bring solutions aligned with these pillars and with our initial focus on early detection using ultrasound (US) and artificial intelligence (AI). Artificial intelligence enabled the US to facilitate the implementation of task shifting, thus democratizing access for women at the points of need.

Essential factors to improve care and build health systems include improving women’s agency, equity, and decision power and eliminating barriers to accessing services and interventions. In high-income regions, mammography (MG) is the standard for early detection of breast cancer, yet it has significant limitations in LMICs, first and foremost being lack of access. MG is expensive and requires significant infrastructure (e.g. segregated space, large amounts of electricity, specialized air conditioning, radiation safety measures, regular maintenance and repair, and extensive training). These factors are significant contributors to the fact that most cancers in Sub-Saharan Africa present at late stages (85% in are stages III and IV), mostly too late for cure.

We propose transforming the current breast cancer care model to an accurate, accessible, lower-cost, point-of-need model. We bring hope and solutions for early detection of breast cancer, step one in the continuum of breast cancer.

Speakers

Linda Goler Blount, MPH

Black Women’s Health Imperative

Linda Goler Blount, MPH, is an epidemiologist and President of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, the first national non-profit organization focused on Black women’s health and wellness.Ms. Blount has overseen more than $30 million invested in research to prevent chronic disease... Read More →

Marleen Temmerman (Convenor)

Professor, The Aga Khan University, Kenya

Dr. James Benedict

Left Tackle Capital and the BeDoWin Institute

James Benedict brings 25+ years of experience in venture capital and private equity. He is a family office investor, human capital partner, and entrepreneur. James is a Co-Founder of both Left Tackle Capital and the BeDoWin Institute, accelerators for high potential venture capital... Read More →

Dr. Miriam Mutebi

Aga Khan University Hospital

Dr. Mutebi is a consultant breast surgical oncologist and assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. She is also a clinical epidemiologist and health systems researcher with a research focus on understanding barriers to... Read More →

Dr. Mary Nyangasi

Technical Officer, Cancer and Lead, WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative, World Health Organization

I am a medical doctor and global health physician with a 17-year career experience in cancer clinical care and policy making, program management and leadership.I joined WHO in January 2024 as the Lead, Global Breast Cancer Initiative. I also support the National Cancer Control Planning... Read More →

Dr. Susan Harvey

Curing Women’s Cancer (CWC)

Susan C. Harvey M.D. practiced breast imaging for 30 years, the last 15 years at Johns HopkinsSchool of Medicine where she led the Division of Breast Imaging from 2013 to 2019. She developed clinical excellence in care and built teaching and research programs. Her research focused... Read More →

Dr. Saraswati Sukumar

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Dr. Saraswati Sukumar is a Barbara B. Rubenstein Professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Professor of Pathology. Her lab is focused on using methylated gene markers to detect breast cancer. Her current clinical study in Africa is focused on the development... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2024 8:00am - 9:30am EDT
TBA

Women

Filter By Date

Sep 10 -27, 2024

September 2024
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30
Filter By Venue

345 Park Avenue, New York, NY, USA

All

CR023 - CURE
CURE 345 Park Ave South
Harvard Club of New York City
Innovation Room
Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza, 100017 Landmark Room, 29th floor, West
New York, London, Dar-es-Salaam
Online
Republic of South Africa Consulate General
Royal Norwegian Consulate General New York
Science Summit venue (12th floor)
Science Summit venue (2nd floor)
Science Summit venue (Rooftop)
Science Summit Venue (room CR023)
Tanzania House
TBA
UN Headquarters, 405 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017, USA
United Nations University
Upland
Virtual session
Filter By Type

Agriculture

Artificial Intelligence

All
Health

Capacity Building

All
Inclusion

Data

Education

Energy

Environment

Financing

Food

Health

All
Genomics

Indigenous Knowledge

All
Inclusion

Policy/Democracy

All
Inclusion

Social Event

Space

Women

All
Inclusion

Youth

All
Inclusion
Popular
Timezone

September 2024
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

Science Summit 2024