Neuroscience in Nigeria: the past, the present and the future

Two decades of neuroscience publication trends in Africa

Neuroscience research in Africa remains sparse. Devising new policies to boost Africa's neuroscience landscape is imperative, but these must be based on accurate data on research outputs which is largely lacking. Such data must reflect the heterogeneity of research environments across the continent's 54 countries. Here, we analyse neuroscience publications affiliated with African institutions between 1996 and 2017. Of 12,326 PubMed indexed publications, 5,219 show clear evidence that the work was performed in Africa and led by African-based researchers - on average ~5 per country and year. From here, we extract information on journals and citations, funding, international coauthorships and techniques used. For reference, we also extract the same metrics from 220 randomly selected publications each from the UK, USA, Australia, Japan and Brazil. Our dataset provides insights into the current state of African neuroscience research in a global context.

Bibliometric analysis of Neurosciences research productivity in Saudi Arabia from 2013-2018

OBJECTIVE

To review the dynamics of neuroscience research in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from 2013-2018.

METHODS

Subject category of Neuroscience was selected in the SciVal feature of Scopus database, which includes all relevant categories of the field limiting it to Saudi Arabia.

RESULTS

Saudi Arabia is ranked 39th in publishing neuroscientific research worldwide. The number of yearly published articles has increased from 123 to 332 during the time period between 2013 and 2018. King Saud University & King Abdul Aziz University & their corresponding regions namely Western and Central regions are the major contributors to publications. Neuroscientists working in Saudi Arabia have collaboration with scientists from all over the world. The top 10 preferred journals are all international. In subcategories of neuroscience, developmental neuroscience seems the one that needs attention.

CONCLUSION

Neuroscience research is on the rise in KSA. Older and well-established institutions like King Saud University & King Abdul Aziz University have taken lead in publishing neuroscientific research. International collaboration in all subfields of neuroscience is substantial. Eastern Southern and Northern regions and developmental neuroscience require more focus and funding.

Microbiology Education in Nigeria: Common Training Deficits Could Be Addressed with Modern Educational Tools†

Microbiology has developed as an important field of scientific training in Nigeria over the years. It is one of the early scientific fields introduced to the country. It has contributed to the development of the scientific identity of the country, through training of personnel and applications aimed at addressing microbial diseases that present a public health concern. Recent diseases, especially of microbial origin, have however exposed the poor state of microbiology in Nigeria. Recurrent but avoidable infectious diseases such as diarrhea and cholera have led to the loss of several lives. Although the situation is complex, at least some of these shortcomings could be compensated for by enhancing the quality of training delivered to future microbiologists and related healthcare professionals and educators. An analysis of microbiology curricula in Nigerian institutions compared with those of developed countries identified several gaps. Although inadequacy in training resources, expert faculty, and funding are well recognized, it is believed that several of these training gaps could be addressed through innovative educational approaches. In this paper, I discuss how key microbiology education weaknesses in the Nigerian context could be overcome using modern, low-cost educational tools that are accessible even in the face of existing institutional challenges. Topics such as molecular cloning and PCR are discussed, together with how specific virtual classroom and related internet-based tools can be applied to teach these topics in resource-limited contexts. This paper should therefore be relevant to microbiology educators in most developing countries.

African neuroscience on the global stage: Nigeria as a model

Of the 572 neuroscience-related studies published in Nigerian from 1996 to 2017, <5% used state-of-the-art techniques, none used transgenic models, and only one study was published in a top-tier journal.

Using Electronic Tools and Resources to Meet the Challenges of Anatomy Education in Sub-Saharan Africa

Anatomy education forms the foundation of a successful medical education. This has necessitated the development of innovative ideas to meet up with current realities. Despite these innovative ideas, there are challenges facing anatomy education, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Problems such as inadequate teaching experts and outdated curricula have made anatomy education in sub-Saharan Africa uninviting and disinteresting. Several interventions have been suggested, such as the procurement of teaching tools and upgrading of teaching infrastructure. However, in this age of information technology; anatomy education, especially in sub-Saharan Africa could benefit from the integration of electronic tools and resources. This article explores the electronic tools and resources such as three-dimensional printing, educational games, and short videos that are readily available for the teaching of anatomy in sub-Saharan Africa. The author concludes by discussing how these electronic tools and resources can be used to address many of the challenges facing anatomy education in sub-Saharan Africa.

Using invertebrate model organisms for neuroscience research and training: an opportunity for Africa

Africa is faced with an increasing underrepresentation of her research progress in many fields of science including neuroscience. This underrepresentation stems from the very low investments directed towards research by African governments as these are thought to be high-priced. Scientists and researchers within the continent are left to compete highly for the very limited research grants or choose to fund research from their personal purse. Therefore, presenting a need for all possible strategies to make science and research approaches more affordable in Africa. This paper presents one of such strategy, which advocates the use of invertebrate animal models for neuroscience research in place of the commonly used vertebrate models. Invertebrates are cheaper, more available and easy to handle options and their use is on the rise, even in the developed societies of the world. Here, we investigate the current state of invertebrate neuroscience research in Africa looking at countries and institutions conducting neuroscience research with invertebrates and their publication output. We discuss the factors which impede invertebrate neuroscience research in Africa like lack of research infrastructure and adequate expert scientists and conclude by suggesting solutions to these challenges.