Sarah Bwabye
Research shows junior new approaches to health problems
Like many college students, junior biology major Sarah Bwabye keeps in touch with her family through phone calls and instant messaging. But when Bwabye logs on, her little sisters are ten time zones away.
In 2004, Bwabye was among the inaugural group of Ugandan students brought to U.S. universities by Leadership Advancement International (LAI). This nonprofit organization recruits African students to study at American universities and provides scholarships to support them.
Bwabye works with zebrafish, studying ear development, in Professor Monte Westerfield's lab. She helps a postdoctoral student study genes that are expressed in the ear and explores what happens when those genes are absent. Zebrafish are vertebrates, like humans, and can be used to study genetic diseases common to both species.
Initially, Bwabye wasn't sure how she wanted to use her education. She knew she wanted to become a medical doctor and possibly open a hospital in Uganda. But her experience at the University of Oregon has broadened the scope of her possibilities. She still plans to become a doctor, but now she would like to maintain her involvement with research. "Being a doctor isn't the only way to solve health problems," she said. "There are other areas, such as doing research that can lead to something of importance."
Bwabye believes that Ugandan researchers have interest in conducting research on many of the tropical diseases that affect their fellow citizens, even if the resources have not always been available. "We have the capability to carry out this research . . . it just needs to be refined."
After receiving their degrees, the students supported by LAI are expected to return to their home country and implement what they have learned. "We have medical schools in Uganda, and doctors, but we need more than that," Bwabye says. "We need to learn more about what's happening in the world."