The day featured short research talks, interactive sessions, and a grant hackathon, creating space for new ideas on malaria control, elimination, and research collaboration.
The Centre’s leadership team from both LSHTM and the MRCG shared their vision for increasing collaboration and showcasing the Centre’s impact. They reflected on the feedback from the recent Triennial Review, which commended the Centre’s teaching and partnerships, while encouraging clearer internal communication.
Highlights from the day included a dynamic grant-writing session led by the centre Co-director Bhargavi Rao, engaging presentations by early-career and senior researchers, and strategy discussions around shared research goals.
In his opening remarks at the retreat, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Centre, Dr Michael Delves, said: “With the resurgence of malaria, a changing funding landscape, and shrinking opportunities for early career researchers, now is the time for us to ask how the Malaria Centre can best serve the community.
Speaking on the Centre’s vision, he added: “We remain deeply committed to advancing the fight against malaria. Our goal is to drive meaningful progress through pioneering research and education, influencing policy change, and translating knowledge into practical tools and technologies that lead to real-world impact.”.
Founded in 1998, the Centre comprises a global network of over 450 researchers, postgraduate students and support staff working together in fifty countries around the world with its largest research hub based at the MRC Unit The Gambia, which has been at the forefront of malaria research in The Gambia for over 75 years.
Dr Eniyou Cheryll Oriero, Postdoctoral Researcher at LSHTM and the first Malaria Centre Co-Director based at the MRC Unit The Gambia, introduced the Centre’s new Steering Committee, which oversees its membership, activities, income, and resourcing.
Highlighting the significance of the retreat, Dr Oriero emphasised its role in strengthening collaboration and knowledge exchange: “This retreat is about strengthening connections, aligning our goals, and finding new ways to work together. With our shared expertise across the Unit and the School, we are well placed to lead malaria research that truly makes a difference in West Africa.”
The event concluded with an informal evening reception at the Pumphandle bar at LSHTM, where participants also shared their work through poster presentations, sparking further conversation and connections.
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