Strengthening MRI Education & Research in African Countries

Investments in MRI technology have transformed modern healthcare delivery systems. Despite bearing the largest global burden of non-communicable diseases, countries in Africa are significantly limited in access to MRI technology and have a severe shortage of skilled MRI personnel. 

The Consortium for Advancement of MRI Education and Research in Africa (CAMERA) is a network of African MRI experts and global partners committed to establishing a sustainable MRI training and mentorship program in African countries. CAMERA will leverage established connections and partnerships to expand existing resource networks to support underrepresented MRI researchers in African countries and provide them with skills to lead MRI research, create innovative solutions, and rapidly apply the benefits of MRI technology to healthcare needs in Africa. 

Specifically, this program will train 12 emerging African MRI scientists and technologists recruited from a cross-national pool in Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Mozambique; establish an African Chapter of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) to increase African presence and contributions globally; build a robust mentorship program for early-career African MRI scientists through collaborative projects to encourage the retention of talent within the region; develop an online MRI resource platform to host virtual education sessions and house a library of image processing, analysis, and sequence development aids; and provide hands-on-training courses for MRI engineers within African countries to sustain MRI technology in their regions.