Institute of Global Health promises to shape future of genomics education

From Bamigbola Gbolagunte

No fewer than 20 young scientists from across Nigeria have converged on the Institute of Genomics and Global Health (IGH), Redeemer’s University, Ede, on for the on-site phase of Africa’s first-ever Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Genomics Hackathon.

The event, which was designed to revolutionize the way genomics is taught and experienced, brought together a unique blend of technical skills and scientific expertise to simulate laboratory processes.

For the past two weeks, over 150 international participants worked remotely in team,
developing operational flows for various genomic sequencing steps using Extended Reality (XR)
and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Speaking, Professor Christian Happi who is the Director of IGH said “we are happy to bring these young minds together, including participants from Kenya and Uganda that will be collaborating remotely in this second phase. This hackathon is a major step in shaping the future of genomics education in Africa.”

He stated further that “by integrating technologies like XR and AI, we are creating new ways for young scientists to experience and learn about complex genetic data, making high-level complex lab procedures accessible through a virtual space.”

According to him, the virtual simulations are designed to allow young scientists to learn about complex, hands-on lab procedures within an immersive digital environment.

He said the event is open to the public, offering a rare glimpse into the future of scientific education and the potential of African innovation.