Senior researcher scoops Dr. Maria Kamm Best Female Scientist Award

Vice President Dr Philip Mpango Presenting the award to Dr Stella Mpagama
What you need to know:
- The award, offered by the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), was presented to Dr Mpagama in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, May 17, during the 2nd Annual Joint Scientific Conference.
Dar es Salaam. A Tanzanian medical specialist who is currently leading a multi-country project to transform the treatment of tuberculosis treatment in Africa Dr Stella Mpagama has won the Dr Maria Kamm Best Female Scientist Award which she received during a scientific event graced by Vice President Philip Mpango.
The award, offered by the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), was presented to Dr Mpagama in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, May 17, during the 2nd Annual Joint Scientific Conference.
Dr Mpagama, aged 45, a specialist physician from the Kibong’oto Infectious Diseases Hospital in Kilimanjaro Region won the award alongside five other scientists and innovators, as part of a major conference that saw hundreds of scientists from Tanzania and abroad showcase their research works.
She told The Citizen that the award is an opportunity to continue inspiring a young generation of researchers in the area of infectious diseases which she has been working on for many years.
Dr. Maria Kamm, a renowned educator in Tanzania whom the award is named after, has been an inspiration to many women scientists and scholars.
“Dr Maria Kamm inspires me to continue mentoring Masters and PhD students,’’ said Mpagama who is empowering young research scientists through training and mentorship and has contributed to translation and dissemination of research evidence.
She is currently leading a TB clinical trial capacity development in four African countries: Gabon, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda, which is expected to improve the health of the people suffering from TB in Africa but also create various opportunities for scientists in Tanzania.
The project aims to transform how tuberculosis is treated. “TB is curable but the treatment duration is very long taking 6-18 months and now there is a threat of drug resistance, especially multidrug resistant TB,’’ she said, shortly after receiving the award.
Mpagama, who holds a PhD in infectious diseases, has also worked on strengthening clinical research capacity in Tanzania, including testing a possible approach for avoiding the deafness caused by some anti-TB treatments, while also building local capacity to carry out high-quality clinical trials.
Others who won the awards include a young scientist Dr Anange Fred Lwila, an epidemiologist at the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) who won the Dr Mwelecele Malecela Memorial Award named after one of world’s respected researchers on Neglected Tropical Diseases who died in February 2022.
Prof Sayoki Mfinanga, a research scientist from NIMR won the National Best Scientist Award for his role in high impact multi-centre clinical trials whose findings have been incorporated into national and World Health Organisation guidelines.