This session was held on November 20 2023, during the 34rd Regional ISBT Congress that was held in Cape Town, South Africa from November 18-21, 2023.
The Mentorship - a springboard to research success session included the following presentations:
1. Marion Vermeulen: I TRY IT Program
2. Arwa Al Riyami: ISBT I TRY IT Program, Empowering Clinical Researchers through Mentorship
3. Abiy Belay Ambaye: Assessing the risk of Leishmaniasis to blood transfusion in Ethiopia with the support of ISBT I TRY IT program
MODERATORS: Riana Cockeran, Brian Custer
Abstract
ISBT I TRY IT Program, empowering clinical researchers through mentorship
A Z Al-Riyami1
1Department of Haematology, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
Mentorship plays a crucial role in clinical research, fostering knowledge-sharing and enhancing research skills and career development. Experienced mentors provide guidance and support to young researchers, helping them design their research, build protocols, avoid pitfalls, and refine their critical thinking and research abilities. This significance is magnified for young researchers from low and middle-income countries, where limited resources and access to advanced research facilities pose challenges.
The I TRY IT 2023 program, an initiative of the ISBT Academy led by members of the Transfusion-Transmitted Infectious Disease, Clinical Transfusion, and Red Cell immunohaematology Working Parties, addresses these research needs. The program consists of two parts: Part I focuses on study design and protocol development, while Part 2 focuses on data analysis and manuscript preparation. This program provides invaluable guidance and support to novice researchers in navigating clinical research methodologies, ethics, data analysis, and manuscript writing. Additionally, mentees have the opportunity to apply for a small grant to support their research endeavors.
This presentation will delve into the speaker's journey within the ISBT I TRY IT program since 2016, progressing from being a mentee to becoming a mentor. The lessons learned from this transformative experience will be shared, highlighting the significant impact of mentorship on the speaker's professional growth and commitment to fostering future researchers.
