posted 14th October 2026
KidneyGenAfrica, a Pan-African partnership project dedicated to transforming the landscape of kidney disease research across the continent, announced the recipients of the first round of the KidneyGenAfrica Seed Funding. The grant scheme is part of KidneyGenAfrica’s commitment to supporting high-quality research and strengthening the next generation of researchers working at the intersection of kidney disease and genomics. Grant recipients will use the seed funding to generate pilot data, explore new ideas, and strengthen applications for larger funding opportunities.
With funding from KidneyGenAfrica, early-career researchers in Mali, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa will investigate how genetic, metabolic and environmental factors contribute to the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. These projects will address major gaps in global kidney research and lay the groundwork for more effective risk prediction, prevention, and ultimately more personalised approaches to kidney disease care.
“Africa’s genetic diversity provides an extraordinary opportunity to advance our understanding of kidney disease but realising that opportunity requires investment in African researchers and African-led science,” said Professor Segun Fatumo, Professor and Chair of Genomic Diversity at Queen Mary University of London and Co-Director of KidneyGenAfrica. “We are delighted to fund African scientists conducting innovative research that is grounded in the health priorities of our populations. By strengthening the pipeline of African researchers, we are not only advancing genomics research but also ensuring that future discoveries contribute to more equitable approaches to kidney health.”
“Investing in early-career researchers is essential to building a sustainable future for kidney disease research in Africa,” said Dr. June Fabian, Director of the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Research Institute and Co-Director of KidneyGenAfrica. “The KidneyGenAfrica Seed Funding Grant is designed to support promising researchers at this critical stage and create a stronger, more connected community of African scientists leading innovative kidney disease research.”
“The KidneyGenAfrica Seed Funding Grant is aligned with the Center for Genomics Research and Innovation’s commitment to promote investment in genomics-related research in Nigeria,” said Professor Oyekanmi Nash, Director of the Center for Genomics Research and Innovation. “Funding projects led by early-career African researchers that respond to the priorities of their own communities will help build a sustainable research ecosystem and ensure advances in genomics ultimately translate into better health outcomes across the continent."
“For Africa to tackle the growing burden of kidney disease, we need to invest in the researchers who will generate the evidence to address it,” said Professor Moffat Nyirenda, Director of the MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit. “We are pleased to support KidneyGenAfrica’s investment in early-career African researchers, helping them turn promising ideas into evidence while building the skills, experience and collaborations needed to develop independent research careers.”
“Early-career researchers need opportunities to test new ideas, generate preliminary evidence, and build the confidence, skills and collaborations that can take their work to the next level,” said Professor Michèle Ramsay, Director of the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience and South African Research Chair in Genomics and Bioinformatics of African Populations at the University of the Witwatersrand. “The KidneyGenAfrica Seed Funding Grant provides an important opportunity for early-career investigators to pursue innovative research that reflects the realities of our populations and contribute to our understanding of kidney health.”
2026 KidneyGenAfrica Seed Funding Awardees
- Dr. Abdoulaye Diawara - APOL1 Genetic Variants in Rural Mali: A Pilot Study Using Existing Biobank
- Dr. Adijat Jimoh - Prevalence of APOL1 Genotypes among the General Population and Associated Diseases in Ibadan, Nigeria
- Dr. Julius Tieroyaare Dongdem - Gut Microbiota Composition and Dysbiosis in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients in Ghana
- Dr. Ritah Kiconco - Genetic Determinants of Divergent Kidney Function Outcomes Among African Adults Across Glycemic Phenotypes
- Dr. Onesmus Byamukama - APOL1 High-risk Genotypes and Chronic Kidney Disease after Severe Pre-eclampsia in Uganda: A Pilot Prospective Cohort Study
- Dr. Khuthala Mnika - Genetics of CKD in people with diabetes in the Eastern Cape
- Dr. David Twesigomwe - Assessing the role of rare and structural variants in kidney function and disease among African populations
