After joining MLW in 2020 as a part-time intern under the Paediatric and Child Health group for a quality improvement project under Bridget Freyne’s supervision, Diana moved to the Bacterial and Drug-Resistant Infections Group where she works as a study coordinator and Masters student for A Clinically Oriented Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network with Dr. Samantha Lissauer and Professor Nicholas Feasey supervisors.

Her passion and enthusiasm for research was derived from appreciating the impact of evidence-based clinical practice. “Throughout my time at MLW, I have seen my research skills refined with each completed task. I am happy to be part of the MLW network”.

Diana has been awarded the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (RSTMH) Early Career grant of £4700 to implement a twelve-month project titled “Implementation of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Bundle for Hospitalised Children with ComCommunity-Acquiredeumonia in a Large Paediatric Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.”

She is grateful for the support she gets from her line managers, Confidence Banda, Dr. Lughano Zulu, and Dr. Elias Phiri. Asked how much the award means to her career, she said, “Winning a grant is a confidence booster in one’s research career. I look forward to conducting this project and presenting the findings to Sub-Saharan African health organizations and facilities. As an epidemiologist in training, I am now more determined to apply for more grants and pursue further studies to become an independent researcher who will be able to mentor and train others. Conducting research is the ultimate solution to our health system needs, and we are here for that”.