In April 2026, CCC signed an agreement with the African Research Excellence Fund (AREF) to support an outstanding researcher – Dr Moustafa Sherif, who based at the Benha University, Egypt, to undertake a Research Development Fellowship at the University of Bonn, Germany.
Dr Moustafa Sherif will be investigating genotoxic effects and DNA repair responses to glyphosate–PFOS Co-exposure in human liver and kidney cell lines. During the fellowship Dr Moustafa Sherif will also receive coaching and mentorship, and he will participate in a two-month grant writing programme aimed at strengthening research and funding capabilities.
The 9-month Research Development Fellowship placement is a transformative programme, which integrates skills development, collaboration, and networking and enhanced mentorship, and coaching. This along with AREF’s flexible and supportive approach, makes AREF fellowships maximally impactful for emerging research leaders to develop themself and their research, so that they can succeed in the next stages of their research careers.
The immediate outcome will be that the fellow will do better research, develop his own ideas based on the North African context in which he works, successfully compete for international funding, publish in world leading journals, and lead effective and equitable collaborative teams.
Indeed, the researchers AREF nurtures today are the potential research leaders of tomorrow, able to shape national and international health research strategies and policy agendas to better achieve equality of global health, thereby contributing to Africa achieving the following Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3 “Good Health and Well-Being”, SDG 4 “Quality Education”, and SDG 10 “Reduce Inequalities”.
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Notes for Editors
For media inquiries, contact:
Awa L. Jagne, aref@aref-africa.org.uk
Africa Research Excellence Fund
The Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) was founded by Professor Sir Tumani Corrah KBE in 2015.
Professor Corrah founded AREF to support the careers of the new generation of African researchers, giving them the stepping stones needed to become outstanding research leaders in their respective fields, ensuring that talent is retained in Africa to address the continent’s unique health research needs.
AREF’s vision is of an inspired, committed, and talented community of researchers in Africa leading world-class research and participating equitably in international research endeavors for health and wellbeing.
[1] UNESCO science report: towards 2030
[2] Patra, Swapan Kumar. The Conversation, “Africa hosts very few clinical trials. Why this is bad for innovation” (2018)