Overview
Kidney disease is a major and growing health challenge across Africa, yet African populations remain vastly underrepresented in genetic studies of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Harnessing Africa’s unparalleled genomic diversity to understand kidney disease risk and improve patient outcomes requires both cutting-edge science and a new generation of African leaders in kidney genomics.
Following the success of our inaugural KidneyGenAfrica short course in January 2026, we are hosting another five day intensive workshop in Malawi. This workshop will bring together a diverse group of postgraduate and early-career researchers from across the continent to strengthen knowledge, practical skills, and collaborative networks in the genetic epidemiology of kidney disease. Participants will explore CKD phenotypes in African populations, critically appraise genetic contributors such as APOL1, and gain hands-on experience with genome-wide association studies, polygenic risk scores, and emerging multi-omics approaches.
Through expert-led seminars, interactive discussions, and practical data analysis sessions, the course will provide a platform to examine ethical and community considerations in African genomics, share research across diverse contexts, and develop project proposals. Participants will leave with new technical skills, strengthened professional networks, and a deeper understanding of how to drive equitable kidney genomics research across Africa.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, the participants will be able to:
- Implement basic bioinformatics workflows and programming tools used in large-scale genomic analyses.
- Execute a GWAS pipeline and critically interpret findings in the context of African genomic diversity.
- Understand the application of GWAS and how it can be used to calculate Polygenic Risk Scores.
- Design and present an original research project proposal building on KidneyGenAfrica data and methods.
Applications for KidneyGenAfrica workshop in Malawi now open
Postgraduate and early career researchers working in Africa who are involved in bioinformatic data analysis, genetics, epidemiology or clinical assessment of chronic kidney disease and related traits, including geneticists and bioinformaticians transitioning from pathogen genomics to human genomics, are encouraged to apply.
Individuals who participated in the KidneyGenAfrica Workshop in January 2026 are not eligible to apply.
Workshop dates: 24th to 29th January 2027
Venue: Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe Campus, Malawi
Deadline to apply: 23:59 GMT on 14 August 2026
Travel, accommodation, and subsistence fully covered.
If you have questions, please email training@kidneygenafrica.org.
If you have any questions, please email training@kidneygenafrica.org.
