Kauthar Omar

Coding has always fascinated me. Being from an Applied Bioengineering (genomics-based) background, I was actively looking for a bridge between the two. The internship provided an opportunity to learn and polish my programming skills under guidance and see its application in multi-omics data processing using real-life problems. Moreover, it cultivated a self-learning discipline that has played a key role in continuously solidifying and expanding my Bioinformatics knowledge. The skills and experience gained during the internship gave me a competitive advantage when applying for Bioinformatics opportunities hence paving the way to getting the EANBiT master’s fellowship. The internship increased my resilience and self-discipline which still plays a key role in my MSc Bioinformatics journey.

Fredrick Kebaso

The internship training demystified my career path in bioinformatics. The introduction to Python programming skills, Linux, R, and Data analysis skills, and collaborative mini-project on RNASeq motivated me to enroll in short courses in Bioinformatics such as the NGS training by H3BioNet after the internship. Additionally, I got to interact with experts in the field through the Bioinformatics Hub of Kenya. My quest to acquire more skills kept me on my toes as I sought to advance my skills to a Master’s level. Following highly competitive interviews, I emerged as one of the beneficiaries of the EANBiT fellowship. I am grateful for the support towards achieving my career goal. I look forward to sharing my experiences with the upcoming Bioinformaticians.

Brenda Kamau

The internship opportunity laid a foundation for my current career in Bioinformatics. It was designed to equip me with Bioinformatics skills. I got to learn programming languages such as Python and R as well as an introduction to Biological databases. It helped me improve my communication skills through journal club presentations and project progress meetings. I was privileged to collaborate on a mini-project, where I got to put the gained skills into practice through real-time analysis of data. The four months of exposure and mentorship turned me into a Bioinformatics enthusiast and stirred my interest even more to become an authority in the field of Bioinformatics. This led to my application and acceptance as an EANBiT masters fellow.

Wilson Mudaki

With substantial skills in programming, the Internship served as a platform for me to reconcile my knowledge in Molecular Biology and Computing skills. The introductory training on the concepts of bioinformatics was key in putting my career vision into a clear perspective. It was from the internship program that I established that my interests were more aligned to building software involved in bioinformatics research. From the internship, I learned one key lesson, no single person ever has all the answers to a problem and it’s only by working together and appreciating the different perspectives and ideologies others bring to the table that we get to put the whole big picture together. Currently, I am pursuing my MSc in Bioinformatics, with the hope of eventually fulfilling my long-term vision of becoming a Bioinformatics engineer, a career path and vision I only got to establish during my time as an intern.

We are thankful for the immense support we received at ICIPE and we shall keep on sharing what we have learned.