Dr Julia Makinde was selected to join a cohort of outstanding young scientists at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions.

The Young Scientists Class of 2018 featured 36 leading academics from 21 countries across six continents. The scientists, all under the age of 40, were selected for their contribution to advancing the frontiers of science in ways that contribute to health, sustainability, inclusiveness and equity. Dr Makinde, a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Medicine, uses next-generation computational and immunological tools to aid the design of vaccines and therapies against pathogens such as HIV.

Dr Makinde and her fellow Young Scientists played an important role at the Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions, which took place on 18-20 September in Tianjin, China. They participated in sessions and workshops alongside leaders from government, business, civil society and other stakeholder groups and contributed ideas for solving complex challenges within and outside their core areas of interest.

Convening under the theme 'Shaping Innovative Societies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution', 2,000 business leaders, policy-makers and experts from over 80 countries participated and explored more than 200 sessions over the three days of the meeting.

Commenting on her selection, Dr Makinde said: “It was an honour to be invited to the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin along with 35 other young scientists from around the world, which focused on shaping innovative societies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It was well attended by representatives of governments (including the UK) and industry leaders, and created a platform for the discussion of ideas and technologies that are starting to transform the research landscape.”

“As an immunologist who is currently applying emerging computational approaches to understanding how the natural response to pathogens can inform the design of new therapies, I found the dynamic and interactive format of the meeting stimulating and conducive for initiating new networks for international collaborations.”

Find out more about The Young Scientists Community at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2018.

This article was adapted from a press release by the World Economic Forum.