Funmilola James
Student spotlight details
Funmilola's experience on our Prevention Strategies for Non-Communicable Diseases course granted her access to first-hand research-based knowledge.
‘Prior to taking the course in the summer of 2012, I was a full-time volunteer with Breast Without Spot (BWS) in Nigeria. My work then was narrowed only to advocating for primary and secondary prevention of cancer.
'I was attracted to the course because of the contents of the curriculum. I saw it as an opportunity to learn from world class researchers in a prestigious university like Oxford and receive research-based teaching on NCDs control.
'The most engaging parts of the NCDs course for me were the group sessions, because it gave me the opportunity to get to interact with the other participants. The practicality of the course was also something I found very engaging.
'For instance, having to go to the departmental store to purchase and analyze the nutritional labelling of a pack of pizza, having to be presented with a pack of cookies and being asked to report on the nutritional content, or having to critique a very recent article on NCDs which was published in an ACE journal were some of the most engaging parts of the course for me. We were taught by world-class researchers, so it really made the word 'research' come alive to me and it marked the beginning of my interest in public health research. Dr Charlie Foster's enthusiasm and passion for NCDs control is so infectious: I have not stopped exercising for 30-40 minutes every morning since the course!
'One challenging part of the course was the personal project. It was nerve-wrecking to stand before everyone else to present a topic even I hadn't totally grasped. It was quite challenging because it was my first major attempt at writing up a proposal in such a short amount of time. However, with an amazing Public Health researcher like Dr Peter Scarborough, it became achievable and easier than I anticipated. I was pleased to have my results come back weeks later; I scored a B and was given a detailed explanation of what I left out and what I should consider to make my proposal better.
'The most challenging part of the course was when Dr Mike Renner called us the “future of NCDs control”. It was scary to have such high hopes placed on me as a young advocate by such veteran public health experts and researchers. However this has encouraged me in my career and each time I look at myself in the mirror, his words ring a bell in my ears and I give myself a thousand and one reasons why I cannot afford to fail. I am still yet to have a personal office as I would love to have a plaque on my wall that reads 'The Future of NCDs Control'!
'It was my first time at such course and I wasn't sure what to expect, so the course contained no surprises. The course however did an extremely great job of broadening my career goal to include NCDs advocacy rather than working only around cancer control advocacy.
'Presently, I am still the National Project Manager of Breast Without Spot (BWS) in Nigeria and have since instigated an initiative into our NGO program called ‘4by4 plus’, as inspired by the NCDs course. The initiative is one under which we encourage Nigerians to get annual screening for the 4 major NCDs with shared risk factors and other NCDs that aren't among the 4 but are also of public health importance.
'Also, I am working with some stakeholders to incorporate political advocacy into our work as a cancer advocacy NGO. I am also working at some unique, sustainable initiatives that will increase capacity of health workforce for cancer prevention, control and treatment in Nigeria.
'I will advise anyone who is serious about NCDs control to please take this course. Apart from the first-hand, research-based knowledge it offers, it is a great opportunity to meet likeminded individuals and veterans. The best part of the course is returning home and knowing that you have access to such great wealth of resource in terms of intellectuals who are extremely willing to assist you with your relevant work. And the very best part? Realising that they are only an e-mail or Skype call away.
'My individual project then was a tobacco control-based project which I hoped to develop for my pursuit of a PhD degree, but my NCDs interest has since changed and did not pursue the project much further.
'However, I still refer to a copy of my individual presentation to serve as standard template for project proposals I work on. The knowledge of the individual project was very relevant in helping me work with a Public Health researcher and Principal Investigator in writing up a grant proposal to Pfizer in 2014. The grant application was granted to us, with the one-year project still on-going and findings will be published by the end of February 2017.
'Furthermore, two publications I co-authored will be published in the second week of February: one will be in the medical journal 'Lancet', the other is in 'Nicotine & Research', a journal published by Oxford University Press.'
PUBLICATIONS:
- Ilbawi AM, Ayoo E, Bhadelia A, Chidebe RC, Fadelu T, Herrera CA, Htun HW, Jadoon NA, James O, May L et al. Advancing access and equity: the vision of a new generation in cancer control. The Lancet Oncology. 2017; 18(2):172-175.
- Odukoya O. Jamda M, Onigbogi O, Uguru N, Onigbogi M, James O et al. Tobacco Cessation Interventions in Tertiary Hospitals in Nigeria: An Audit of Patient Records. Nicotine Tob Res. 2017.
- James O, Okoye IJ, A peculiar African country with its peculiar challenges in cervical cancer prevention- the school-based cervical cancer vaccination awareness initiative in Nigeria. Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2014; 10:134-134.
