OHI COHORT 3 – 2025 Fellows

OHI transformed my approach to research by equipping me with the skills to utilize secondary data for systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and ecological studies. Thanks to the training and mentors’ guidance, a publication from the fellowship directly contributed to my recent promotion. Beyond that, the program gave me the confidence to lead and collaborate with scholars on scoping and systematic reviews. This has been a major milestone in my career, empowering me to synthesize the highest level of research evidence.

The experience gained as an OHI Fellow has had a meaningful impact on my growth as a researcher. Through the fellowship, I am now skilled in working with secondary data, conducting systematic reviews, and carrying out ecological studies, which has made my approach to research more careful and rigorous. The opportunity has also contributed to my professional development, including becoming a member of the editorial team of an Association journal. I am sincerely grateful to OHI for the knowledge, mentorship, and opportunities that continue to shape my research career.

My OHI journey has been more than a fellowship; it has been a journey of growth, confidence, and transformation. As a Cohort 3 Fellow, I came into the programme eager to strengthen my research capacity, but I left with a renewed belief in what I could achieve as an Early-Career Researcher. OHI challenged me to think differently about my research, build meaningful collaborations, communicate my ideas with greater confidence, and, importantly, see research as a pathway to real-world impact. The experience gave me the courage to pursue funding opportunities, eventually leading to my transition into Cohort 4 as a grant awardee. Today, mentoring ECRs in Cohort 4 is especially meaningful because I now have the opportunity to give back what I once received. OHI has taken me from being mentored, to being funded, to mentoring others—a journey I deeply value and hope will continue to shape my career and impact.

I joined the OHI in the year 2025 (3rd cohort). We were opportuned to have 3 major tracks: Systematic review, ecological study, and implementation study, things that were very difficult to grasp before. Today, not only could I conduct them, I teach and work with others to do them. OHI taught me that there is much more to be done with secondary data than we gave credit for.

Being part of the Oral Health Initiative (OHI) Fellowship has been a transformative experience that has strengthened both my research skills and professional growth. The Fellowship has equipped me with practical skills in systematic review & meta-analysis research, while also teaching me the importance of effective communication, networking, emotional intelligence, time management, ethical leadership and balancing multiple academic and professional responsibilities. Most importantly, OHI has instilled in me a strong commitment to giving back by sharing knowledge with others, and as a medical doctor, it has changed the way I approach patient care by encouraging me to see opportunities for research and evidence-based practice in my everyday clinical work.

The OHI program has taught me the importance of multidisciplinary team approach to research. It has changed by perception to finding the link between my field and other professions. I have the capacity to lead and mentor others on conducting systematic reviews and meta-analysis for publication in high impact journals. Thanks to all our mentors for such great opportunities.