As part of the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Women in Science and Women in Global Health campaign, we have spoken to Dr Mary Osuh from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Mary is one of our PhD students and NIHR academy members on our NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Improving Health in Slums, and is also a consultant community dentist in Ibadan, Nigeria. Here, Mary tells us how her journey in science and health began.

"My journey in science and oral health research began when I was 8 years of age. Then I began to observe first-hand, the myriad negative impacts of my residential environment (slum), on our collective health and well-being as people. There was notable contrast between the quality of health care delivered in my residential setting, which was mainly traditional and that received in the non-slum urban setting,
- our usual referral centre. This observation, kindled a drive in me, to work hard, study dentistry and positively impact my birth and local community as well as the larger society.

Today, I am a consultant Community Dentist, and a Lecturer in a Nigerian University. My work in the last decade included dental research and service provision to under-served populations and slum communities in Nigeria.

Currently I am a third year PhD student, funded by the National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit on Improving Health in Slums using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research."

Mary has recently trained her team of research assistants and undertaken her fieldwork in both slum and non-slum settings in Ibadan, Nigeria.

"Upon my completion of the PhD programme, my capacity to add value to lives would be greatly increased, and this I happily look forward to"

Dr Osuh and research assistants undertaking fieldwork in Nigeria.

Click here to find out more about Mary's PhD research.

22 February, 2020