In between astonishment and contentment, each of them spoke their mind. The message is clear; acknowledgement paves the way to a bright future.
Dr Basile Kamgang, Head of Medical Entomology Department at CRID
“I will continue to work hard”
« My work is focused on the characterization of arbovirus vectors in the Central Africa Sub-region. The award I received is due to the fact that my team and I have published the highest number of scientific articles here at CRID within the past 12 months. These papers were focused on the larval characterization of arbovirus vectors, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, in the Republic of Congo and Cameroon. We also carried out work on the evaluation of the insecticide resistance profile of arbovirus vectors, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, in both countries. It is, therefore, the crowning of all this work that favoured my nomination for this award. As a result of this award, I will continue to work hard in order to characterize these Aedes vectors in the Central Africa Sub-region. My aim is to contribute to the control of arbovirus vectors in the Central Africa Sub-region in order to counter the possibility of an epidemic in the region. »
Dr Cyrille Ndo, Head of Department, Parasitology and Microbiology
“My team and I will work hard to produce good results and excellent outcomes”
« I am Dr Cyrille Ndo, a researcher at the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) and Head of Department of Parasitology and Microbiology. I work mainly on mosquito-parasite interaction. The award I received today is to acknowledge me as the researcher who benefited from the most significant or major grants at CRID within the past 12 months. The Welcome Trust International Intermediate Fellowship, recently awarded to me aims to investigate whether and how metabolic resistance to insecticides affect Plasmodium development in mosquito vectors. It is a 5 years project amounting to about £700.000. My team and I will work hard to produce good results and excellent outcomes. »
Dr Benjamin Menze, Post-doctoral researcher
“I really believe that this award is a call to do more and more”
« I am a post-doctoral research assistant at Prof Charles Wondji’s group at CRID. I received an Award in relation to the fact that I recently defended my PhD. I received it as a message of congratulation based on all the recent successes I have achieved. I am very grateful to the CRID and particularly to its Chief Executive Officer, Prof Charles Wondji who provided me with the opportunity to achieve all of these. I really believe that this award is a call to do more and more; and of course, for 2022, I remain in the race and hopefully I will do more in terms of papers, grants and so on. »
Bertrand Mbakam, Lab technician
“I couldn’t have achieved anything without my teammates”
« Here at CRID, I work as technical assistant to the US President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) project and also as Assistant Lab Manager. My daily duties are numerous. I assist in the coordination of laboratory activities including those of the PMI project. This award gladdens my heart. I was not expecting to receive an award. Nevertheless, I couldn’t have achieved anything without my team mates. They have all contributed to this award. I was acknowledged as the best lab technician here at CRID. I will like to thank all the students; without them, I couldn’t have received this award. But my utmost gratitude goes to God Almighty, without Him I wouldn’t have achieved all this. I wake up every day with the word of God in my mind and the belief that the greatest Men are those who serve people or help their neighbours. It is with this conviction that, I face every single day of my life. This award is a concrete evidence confirming the efficiency of such a divine precept. »
Ndi Falenne, Finance manager of CRID
“I know I couldn’t have done this on my own”
« My job at CRID has to do with ensuring finances are properly utilised. I am the liaison person with all of our funders when it comes to financial dealings with them. I received this award as the administrative and finance staff of the year. It is just to recognise that I have done my job well and with a lot of positive attitude towards it. Regarding this award, I am really grateful. I could not have done this on my own. I am so happy! It came as a surprise. This has never happened at CRID. »
Francine Sado, PhD Student
“This award is to celebrate the grant of £5000 that I won”
« I am under the supervision of Dr Huguette Simo. I am very grateful for this certificate of recognition. This certificate is an award to acknowledged my dynamism here at CRID. This award is to celebrate the grant of £5000 that I won. All this is the result of hard work carried out with the incessant support of Dr Huguette Simo and Dr Basile Kamgang. I would like to particularly thank Prof Wondji Charles for providing a platform for me to carry out my research. As a PhD student, I am very happy for receiving this award and I’m grateful to my direct and indirect supervisors. 2022 is going to be more exciting and we are going to definitely put in more efforts to move to the next level. »
Nkemngo Francis, PhD student
“It encourages me to work harder”
« I am a PhD student at the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID). I am under the supervision of Prof Charles Wondji. I received this award as one of the small grant awardees here at CRID. Actually, it is to appreciate my hard work to the recently awarded RSTMH competitive Grant. Of course, this small grant will first of all help me achieve the objectives of the conceived project. Secondly, it will build my capacity as an early career researcher and thirdly it will develop my ability to manage a project. I am particularly thankful to Prof Wondji and Dr Ndo for their unconditional support. I am very excited to see my institution appreciate me with this award. It encourages me to work harder. »
Jean Léon Mugenzi, PhD Candidate
“This award just shows that hard work pays”
« I am a PhD Candidate at the University of Buea. I carried out my PhD research at the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID). The project I have been working on is entitled: « investigating the genes that regulates insecticide resistant genes in Anopheles Funestus ». On May 1st, I was recognised as the best student of the year at CRID. For me, it is quite an honour and encouragement to receive this award. I will like to thank my supervisor who has been the one encouraging me to put every last breath of effort into everything I do. I am very happy. It was not expected. This award just shows that hard work pays. I will also like to seize this opportunity to encourage others to work hard and maybe next year they will be the ones to stand at my place. »
Prof Charles Wondji, CRID CEO
« CRID… a place to be, a place to carry out excellent scientific research »
« During the Labour Day, as a research centre, we have chosen to take a break in order to show our appreciation to the staff. Although the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) has achieved a lot in the past 12 months, it is clear that this couldn’t have been possible without an important contribution at various levels. That is why we have taken this moment to show our gratitude by giving awards, just to acknowledged those who showed immense contribution; who set themselves aside. We are doing this to encourage them and to stimulate others to work hard and do better in the subsequent years. We have been growing in strength over the years. In the past 12 months, CRID has triple its funding sources. This is a prove that excellent work is being done here. We want to push forward; we want to see CRID in the future establishing itself as a centre of excellence not only in Cameroon but in the Central African Sub-region and why not in the continent and even beyond. CRID will be a place to be, a place to carry out excellent scientific research, to save lives, after all, that is our moto: saving lives through quality research. »
