Expertscape, a medical experts’ website, has ranked Dr Felix Bongomin, a lecturer in the department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at Gulu University, the top aspergillosis expert in Africa.
Aspergillosis is a group of disorders caused by a common mould (fungus) called Aspergillus, that usually affect patients with chronic lung diseases like previously treated tuberculosis and those with cancers. The website placed Dr Bongomin at the top after he published 46 articles on fungal diseases.
Dr Felix Kaducu, the Gulu University faculty of Medicine dean, says the rating indicates the path the faculty is taking in ensuring that the knowledge in articles is translated down for the betterment of the community.
“This has to be on record, Dr Bongominis an alumnus of Gulu University, his first bachelor’s of Medicine and Surgery was from here in 2014 and we are super proud of him,” Kaducu says.
Dr Kaducu implored other faculties to emulate such outstanding research undertakings in their professional fields to galvanize support for Gulu University to impact on its global ranking.
Meanwhile, Prof Openjuru George Ladaah, the Gulu University vice chancellor, also weighed in to congratulate the young scholar with emphasis that all academic staff should work hard as a standard in publishing academic articles in order to get international academic recognitions.
“This is the path all staff must trek because it improves both their profiles and that of the university,” he said.
SPECIAL MOMENT
Dr Bongomin describes the recognition as a big stride and breakthrough to refocus more clinical research and attention to fungal diseases among poor community that for long has been neglected by medical experts compared to virus diseases like HIV/Aids and hepatitis, among others.
He adds that the milestone he has achieved would be an inspiration to many leaners especially in the medical field to embrace research as part and parcel of their careers as opposed to simply doing it for the sake of doing it to get marks to pass exams.
Dr Bongomin started lecturing at Gulu University in October 2018 after working as a research associate at the University of Manchester, UK.
He has published over 45 papers in international peer-reviewed journals, including clinical infectious diseases and book chapters in the areas of fungal diseases.
He has researched extensively in the areas of aspergillosis complicating treated tuberculosis, cryptococcal meningitis and histoplasmosis in advanced HIV/Aids disease. He is also an advocate for better care of patients suffering from fungal diseases.
Dr Bongomin is an internationally recognized expert in clinical mycology and a resident internal medicine physician. His clinical and research interests are in histoplasmosis, aspergillosis, cryptococcosis and fungal disease epidemiology. In the past five years, he has contributed to more than 50 international peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, with more than 600 citations.
Credit: observer.ug
