Inspiring Early Career Researchers: Marietou Khouma
More than fifty Early Career Researchers have made significant contributions towards the Action Against Stunting Hub workstreams in India, Indonesia, Senegal and the UK.
In this series, researchers reflect on their personal and professional growth through contribution to Hub research.
Advancing Clinical Nutrition
Marietou Khouma
SENEGAL
Marietou Khouma is a PhD student working on the SENGSYN study at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal.
She has worked on the Action Against Stunting Project in the area of clinical nutrition since 2021and has wide ranging responsibilities, including:
- Recruitment of people involved in the research - babies, young children, women during pregnancy and fathers
- Monitoring and evaluation of the project
- Ensuring ethical and safe protocols are followed within each area of research
To ensure Marietou has the full skillset to carry out her role, she has undertaken different training opportunities. Her first SENeGAL SYNbiotic (SENGSYN) training provided by experts from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and her own institution UCAD developed her skills on how to set up clinical trials.
This included how to set up procedures to gain consent from participants involved with the research and how to ensure researchers comply with study protocols.
"The project has significantly enhanced my skills to ensure compliance and manage teams to do the same. It has allowed me to have team spirit, to communicate better in public, to improve my English."
She also enjoyed the training she received on Anthropometric Measurements from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, providing technical skills and knowledge to accurately weigh and measure babies, children and adults involved in the study.
The project fostered Marietou’s personal growth by enhancing her collaborative working methods, public communication skills, and English proficiency. These skills are pivotal as she plans to pursue further study to continually improve her expertise.
"The project allowed me on a professional level to have knowledge on how to set up a clinical trial, but also how to manage teams to achieve our objectives.
The project also allowed me to master techniques to communicate with colleagues and participants, and gain better understanding of issues around informed consent.
Marietou’s dedication to the project is clear from her anecdote about obtaining informed consent from participants. She recalls an insightful incident where a father requested to join the study, humorously considering himself a newborn due to malnutrition. This interaction highlighted the researchers' warm community’s engagement and the project's impact on raising awareness about health issues.
Marietou’s story demonstrates the significant impact of the Action Against Stunting Hub in equipping young researchers with essential skills and experiences, paving the way for their future contributions to clinical nutrition and public health.