Hello, I’m Celia Matyanga. I am a pharmacist by profession and an academic by choice. I come from Harare in Zimbabwe, currently employed as a lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (University of Zimbabwe). I am also a PhD candidate with the same university in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology.
“Your network is your net worth,” (J.Rohn). My achievements are attributed to my networks and the collaborations formed, I never would’ve made it by myself.
My interest in interprofessional education and research grew from the time I completed my Masters and joined academia in 2013. Then, I worked at the Harare Institute of Technology as a pharmacy practice lecturer. In 2015, I was awarded training in operational research under the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT), global partnership of WHO and other funders. I was privileged to work with health professionals from diverse backgrounds and nationalities and we successfully completed and published the project in Public Health Action. Thereafter, another opportunity arose through the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the African Union Scientific, Technical and Research Commission (AU-STRC). This was an international fellowship for training on research methodology and biostatistical analysis, where we networked with researchers from all over Africa and India. In 2019-2020, I participated in the Health Education Advanced Leadership Program in Zimbabwe (HEALZ). The L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa Young Talents Award and the NIH Fogarty International Center HIV/AIDS Research Training Program were other notable highlights. Currently, I am involved in the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) for the African Excellence in Research: Zimbabwe Gender in STEMM Project. This program fosters interprofessional mentorship in research.
IPR.Global is an excellent platform to network and collaborate with other researchers. Currently, I am a training in the Prof. James Hakim Leadership Development Programme that instils key leadership competencies for different health professions education leaders across African institutions. I am also a trainee in the AREF Essential Grant Writing Skills Workshop, which strengthens health research capacity of scientists in Sub-Saharan Africa.
And finally, should pineapple be on pizza?
Most definitely YES! Sweet and tangy pizza with pineapple is the best.
To contact Celia, email: celiammj@yahoo.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9799-136X
LinkedIn: Celia MJ Matyanga
Twitter: @celiammj
