AUC Launches A New Fellowship To Build African Expertise In Brain Health And Neuroscience

The American University in Cairo (AUC) is launching the African Brain Health Institute (ABHI) Fellowship Programme, a new initiative designed to strengthen research and training in brain health across Africa. The programme is a collaborative initiative with the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) and will be jointly hosted at AUC and the Aga Khan University (AKU) in Kenya, creating one connected fellowship with two sites. Designed as a one-year programme, it focuses on addressing neurological and mental health challenges in ways that reflect the continent’s cultural and social contexts. Applications for the first cohort are expected to open in November 2025, with a two-stage review process, and the programme will officially start in September 2026. “The fellowship seeks to produce a cohort of African leaders to assess the specific brain science needs of people in the continent,” said Mohamed Salama, professor of global health and human ecology at AUC, who leads the initiative. “A programme tailored to our needs will provide more support to African fellows since they will be trained on how to solve problems relevant to their region in a way that is less generalised.”