Marion & her Mentor, Prof Ria Reis
Marion and her Mentor, Prof Ria Reis
On the 22nd of July 2023, Professor Ria Reis, who has been mentoring Dr. Marion Sumari, the PI for the Remind Kid project, visited KCRI in Tanzania. Prof. Reis is a collaborator for the EAPOC project and the supervisor of one of the project team members in her PhD route, Perry Msoka. Ria and Marion lead the workpackage on implementation research in the EAPOC study.
Dr. Sumari said: “We reminisced about the days we haven’t seen each other, about the projects and all the things related, especially professional growth. Prof Reis has always been supportive and inspiring, and her visit brought back a flood of cherished memories”.
She added that as they caught up, she noticed the pride she has had when she asked about her accomplishments and career journey. “I shared the highlights of my professional life and how her teachings had profoundly shaped my path.”
Above all, on 25th July 2023, Prof Reis made time to give a lecture to the teams (the Remind Kid and EAPOC project) about Syndemics in the KCRI boardroom. The topic gave an opportunity for the attendees to think about the relationship between one disease and another and the existing social context.
As it was highlighted earlier, Prof Reis had an opportunity to meet with her PhD student Ms. Perry Msoka (PhD student), who said that she appreciates the time, effort and guidance Prof Reis is putting into her.
Further, Prof. Reis and Dr. Sumari met with the director of KCRI to share about research and their views on important research topics.
At the same time, Dr. Sumari, her family and Prof. Reis had time to have a safari trip to enjoy the nature of Tanzania, but also to meet with Maasai who have previously been engaged in our ONDOILO project. Prof Reis liked and appreciated the effort to make the safari marvelous for her.
Before parting ways, Prof Reis said that she was very happy to see all the team, and she is hoping to meet them in the Netherlands. She left with valuable advice "Keep pushing the boundaries of knowledge and never stop learning. I have no doubt that you'll continue to achieve great things."
Prof Ria Reis is MSC, PhD Stichting Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Professor of Medical Anthropology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center and University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Children’s Institute, University of Cape town South Africa.
