What fascinated me is that only 5% of microorganisms are harmful, and the rest are beneficiary.

I have to think of something that can help us, that we can use based on resources that we have. The lack of things is the biggest inspiration in my life. I want to help my country.

I intend to disperse my achieved knowledge as one of the leading researchers in my country in the domain of microbial biotechnology, to support sustainable and prosperous agriculture.

I found my niche, and I have not looked back.

The OWSD award helped me not only to become the researcher I am today, but also to become a leader in research.

" I can boldly declare that OWSD rewarded my brilliance thus giving me recognition and confidence in my professional arena and placed me in national and international scientific communities.”

When you are following your passion, people will always see what you are doing. People will see that you are doing something different, and they will help you.

Due to the war in Yemen, I had stopped studying for two years. This opportunity gave me the chance to complete my postgraduate studies.

The main problem in radiotherapy is that most cancer cells are resistant to radiation.

I owe ‘what’, ‘who’ and ‘where’ I am in my career and professional practice today to OWSD because without the PHD Fellowship, all my achievements today would have been nothing but bleak.

After my postdoc, I will return to Syria and work to achieve my big dream, which is to establish a research center.

Just give me the seed and I will continue.

What has surprised me is the way technology is emerging and affecting the current state of research. We are encountering a fourth industrial revolution that entails advances in computing power, quantum computing and artificial intelligence, which has already been shown to alter the way we conduct research.

My dear girls in science: be strong, inquisitive, curious, assertive, resilient, and focused. Go for gold!

In today’s scientific environment, in which most PhD scientists concentrate on a single specific discipline, I might shift toward a more systemic view to approach the challenge in infectious diseases.

I desire to see my country, Nigeria, become a leading destination for impactful clinical studies.

Dr. Shammi's research will help to fill a crucial gap in the the global understanding of carbon dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions by providing data on one of the world’s largest river systems.

By creating links between food research and industry, she hopes to enhance food security both in Ghana and in Africa as a whole.