Marcia Kamanga-Wawanya

Strategic Communicator & Storyteller | Global Health Corps’ 2025–2026 ALA Fellow | Public and Community Engagement Expert | Mental Health Advocacy

[Antonia Ho @DrToniHo]

I am deeply honoured to receive this🏅. Many thanks to @MicrobioSoc for the recognition & for shining a light on clinician scientists. 🩺👩‍🔬🙏

[Chukwuemeka O.A @engineaust]

Here is a key step to graduate research assistantship scholarships.

One thing many applicants do not realise is this:

For graduate assistantships, you will often need to write cold emails

A cold email is simply an email you send to a professor or potential supervisor even though they do not know you yet.

This is a major part of the process.

Many students lose opportunities because they are afraid to reach out.

Do not let fear stop you.

A well-written cold email can open the door to funding.

In the comments section is a full tutorial.

[Olumuyiwa Igbalajobi, Ph.D @olumuyiwaayo]

Your SOP conclusion is quietly killing your scholarship applications.

And most applicants have no idea.

Here's how to fix it 👇

[APHRC @aphrc]

We don’t just need more data. We need to use it better.

#IamAPHRC’s Countdown to 2030 for Women's Children's and Adolescents' initiative has been engaging delegates at the ongoing International Maternal Newborn Health Conference 2026 (IMNHC 2026), calling for a shift from measuring maternal and newborn health coverage to managing systems.

Countries need more than data as well as the capacity, institutional space, and political support to interpret it, use it, and act on it.

The Countdown to 2030 team has gone beyond producing analyses to strengthening countries' capacity to turn evidence into priorities, plans, accountability, and action.
Every dataset represents a decision waiting to be made. In the end, it’s not data that saves lives. It’s what we do with it.

#IMNHC2026 #APHRCResearch

@Countdown2030 @gatesfoundation @alignmnh @TheGFF @CARTAfrica @CKyobutungi @amveyange @DMdiarafa @RatemoJuliet @dia_diama @MalickS97 @SyllaElHadjiMa1 @deekagwii @williamsila @DorcasOdhiambo @MangwanaVJ @deborahndlovu @ndonyesarah @njerimbuthia @Chris_Maero @ChristineGer22 @Hope_shete @MuliDavis @Wekesah @CharityWaweru @Waithaka_KE @isabelmutuku1 @Liz_Kimani @FlorahKarimi @cwkabiru @agnes_kiragga

[APHRC @aphrc]

🎉 We are excited to announce the launch of the Mental Health Metadata Repository!

For the first time, Africa has a centralized platform that consolidates datasets on depression, anxiety, and psychosis to support research, innovation, and evidence-based policy across the continent.

The repository developed by the Mental Health Data Prize Africa (MHDPA) team at APHRC in partnership with Wellcome is an important step toward strengthening mental health research and driving data-driven decision-making.

🔗 Explore the repository here: https://t.co/ZBPaQHzthz

#MentalHealthAfrica #DataForGood #OpenScience #MentalHealth #AfricaInnovation

@SKmuyingo @DKadengye @amveyange @CKyobutungi @DMdiarafa @RatemoJuliet @williamsila @DorcasOdhiambo @MangwanaVJ @deborahndlovu @ndonyesarah @njerimbuthia @Chris_Maero @dia_diama @ChristineGer22 @MangwanaVJ @Hope_shete @MuliDavis @Wekesah @meiru_malawi @owen_nkoka @marciakay @DominicNzundah @wisdomnakanga @CrampinMia @Rnzawa @Amainjeni @franciskiroro

[Mental Health Data Prize-Africa @MHDPrizeAFRICA]

Africa’s first Mental Health Metadata Repository is now available, offering open and collaborative data on depression, anxiety, and psychosis to support research and policy.

Explore: https://t.co/w18zL5Exeq

#MentalHealthAfrica #DataForGood

[MEIRU MALAWI @MEIRU_MALAWI]

We’re pleased to be part of the Depression Genetics In Africa (@depgenafrica) study - a collaboration working to close the gap in global depression research and ensure that African populations are represented in the global understanding of mental health.

[Antonia Ho @DrToniHo]

Interested in our research in Malawi?

Have a listen to @CVRinfo Clinical Viral Epi Group student, @Mhairi_Jan’s podcast on her work understanding #SARSCoV2 immunity in urban & rural Malawi during the #COVID19 pandemic.

@MEIRU_MALAWI @MalawiHealth @Animal_Viruses

🦠🧫🩸📈🇲🇼🎙️

[Antonia Ho @DrToniHo]

Proud supervisor post! 😬🙌

Massive congratulations to @Mhairi_Jan for passing her viva. Her PhD was on characterising #SARSCoV2 neutralising ab responses in a rural & urban Malawian cohort. 🥳👏

Thanks also to Mafalda Viana & Giada Mattiuzzo for being fantastic examiners.

[MEIRU MALAWI @MEIRU_MALAWI]

We are hiring: Science Administrator (Vacancy Reference 2026-01-SA)

This is a full-time position (48 hours per week) on Grade C of the MEIRU salary scale, to be based in Chilumba, Karonga.

For full details: https://t.co/QCZFlvbl87

[Marcia Kamanga-Wawanya @MarciaKay]

@boye4christ2006 Do the Masters By Research courses under this scholarship allow dependents?

[Mental Health Data Prize-Africa @MHDPrizeAFRICA]

Happening Today
Mental health research and policy must center the voices of those with lived experience.

Join our webinar today to hear powerful insights from experts and advocates driving this agenda forward.

Register: → https://t.co/tsoxu5jq3k

#MHDPA #MentalHealthAfrica

[MEIRU MALAWI @MEIRU_MALAWI]

Join the wonderful team of researchers at MEIRU. We're looking to fill the 3 posts below

1. Postdoctoral Researcher
2. Statistician/Epidemiologist
3. Biostatistician

See if you meet the requirements, and apply: https://t.co/iGdq0vWNoC

[Marcia Kamanga-Wawanya @MarciaKay]

Thrilled to share I’m a @ghcorps Africa fellow! I’ll be joining emerging #PublicHealth leaders from across Africa as we embark on a journey of #LeadershipDevelopment & #SystemsStrengthening alongside a global community.

[Marcia Kamanga-Wawanya @MarciaKay]

@ndafey Thanks so much Dali!

[Marcia Kamanga-Wawanya @MarciaKay]

@PgrResearcher Thank you

[Marcia Kamanga-Wawanya @MarciaKay]

I had the privilege of hosting the @MEIRU_MALAWI launch event for our newly awarded grant #MentalHealthDataPrizeAfrica. I’m also excited to be one of the co-investigators on this prize, leading #CommunityEngagement and #PLE involvement in research.
@aphrc @wellcometrust

[MEIRU MALAWI @MEIRU_MALAWI]

Ahead of the launch, we held a workshop with people with Lived Experience #PLE and community advisory groups to:
🧠 Discuss the project design
📊 Review and translate preliminary data
🖥️ Test the prototype of the #MEIRUviewer– our new digital data platform

[MEIRU MALAWI @MEIRU_MALAWI]

Last week, together with @health_malawi, @KUHeS_mw, and @MeHUCAMalawi, we officially launched our newly awarded @MHDPrizeAFRICA - an initiative spearheaded by @aphrc in partnership with @wellcometrust to strengthen mental health research through inclusive, data-driven approaches.

[Marcia Kamanga-Wawanya @MarciaKay]

@floneritchle @UKinMalawi Wishing you all the best on your next adventure, Fiona! It was wonderful having you in Malawi.