New research studies, training opportunities and improved clinical care are key goals for a growing collaborative relationship between Nigerian health care institutions and Sylvester.
“We are committed to global health equity and look forward to strengthening our international relationships with our colleagues in Nigeria,” said Sophia George, Ph.D., Sylvester’s associate director for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences in the Miller School’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology.
In 2023, Sylvester leaders hosted a 25-person delegation representing eight universities and the Nigerian Universities Commission in a week-long visit to the Coral Gables and medical school campuses, in partnership with UM’s Center for Global Black Studies.
The week-long convening represents the continued strengthening of Sylvester’s research and patient care collaborations with a large network of institutions of higher education in West Africa, added Matthew P. Schlumbrecht, M.D., M.P.H., professor of clinical obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences; vice chair of global and community health; and director, Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship at Sylvester.
“Our ability to recognize shared challenges and work together to develop constructive solutions in the fields of science and medicine is really a testament to the importance of global approaches in understanding our local communities and the multiple intersections of humankind,” he said.
Dr. George has been collaborating with Dr. Schlumbrecht and Nigerian researchers for the past four years on genetic studies related to ovarian cancer. Dr. Schlumbrecht also mentors gynecologic oncology fellowships through the International Society of Gynecologic Cancer, which provides in-depth oncology training for physicians in Lagos and Zaria in northern Nigeria.
