OHI COHORT 2 – 2024 Fellows - Oral Health Initiative

OHI COHORT 2

Format:

6-day in-person boot camp Fellows (5): Anita Dabar, Richard Oveh, Saheed Ibraheem, Omorinola Afolabi, Abel Chukwuemeka

Composition:

2 public health professionals, 1 computer scientist, 1 biostatistician, 1 biochemist — no dentists

Highlights:

All five fellows secured funding to implement an oral health research project — a landmark demonstration that non-dental professionals can successfully lead oral health research when given structured mentorship. This cohort proved the transdisciplinary reach of the OHI model.

Anita Dabar

Richard Oveh

Saheed Ibraheem

Omorinola Afolabi

Chukwuemeka Abel

The OHI project provided me with valuable opportunity to strengthen my research capacity, publish a journal article, and co-author two additional publications in Q1 journals. The program also helped me improve my academic writing, critical thinking, and confidence as a researcher.

Omorinola Afolabi

Nigeria

My journey with the Oral Health Initiative has been truly transformative. I started as a mentee in Cohort 2, learning and growing through mentorship in transdisciplinary oral health research and evidence synthesis. Today, in Cohort 4, I have the privilege of giving back as a mentor to 12 talented early-career researchers. Experiencing both sides of the mentorship journey has been incredibly rewarding. It is inspiring to see how knowledge, guidance, and opportunities can create a ripple effect, empowering one person to support many others. The cascading mentorship model is more than just knowledge transfer; it is about building confidence, fostering collaboration, and creating a community of researchers committed to improving oral health. I am grateful for the journey so far and excited to continue learning, mentoring, and contributing to this growing community.

Abel Chukwuemeka

Nigeria