Science
Ethiopian Professor Wins International Scientific Award for Depression Research
Deutsche Welle · 6 hours ago · Read the Full Story on Deutsche Welle
AI SUMMARY
Ethiopian mental health researcher Professor Solomon Teferra has won the Pamela Sklar Innovation Award for leading Africa's first major genetic study on depression.
- Professor Solomon Teferra won the Pamela Sklar Innovation Award at the International Congress of Psychiatric Genetics in Glasgow, Scotland.
- The award recognizes his leadership of the DepGenAfrica research team, which investigates the genetic links to depression.
- DepGenAfrica is funded by the Wellcome Trust and is the largest and first study of its kind in Africa.
- The two-year project spans Ethiopia, Malawi, and Nigeria in collaboration with institutions including King's College London, the University of Edinburgh, and Cardiff University.
- The research aims to identify genetic factors contributing to depression and study the genetic structure of Africans to bridge a major gap in global scientific representation.
- Western studies have identified over 600 genetic variants linked to depression but have largely excluded Africans, limiting their global applicability.
- Professor Solomon previously served as the lead African investigator in a Harvard University-led international study on severe mental health disorders involving over 44,000 participants.
- He serves as an addiction sub-specialist at Addis Ababa University and operates the Renaissance Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Center.
- He plans to launch a third study with Oxford University and other international institutions to develop personalized treatment solutions based on individual biological profiles.
- The Pamela Sklar Innovation Award honors the late American psychiatrist and geneticist Dr. Pamela Sklar.