Reem represented the Oxford University Africa Society at the Bridging Excellence: Oxbridge African Scholars Summit 2025 at the University of Cambridge on 22 February 2025. The Summit gave an insight into a range of ground-breaking topics including cancer research, religious intelligence, climate change and refugees.
Speaking about the experience Reem said,
It was an inspiring opportunity to engage with fellow African scholars from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford, exchanging ideas on pressing challenges facing the continent. Presenting my research on pandemic preparedness reinforced the urgency of strengthening Africa’s health systems, particularly in disease surveillance, outbreak response, and sustainable domestic financing, to ensure communities are better protected from future health emergencies."
Reem’s research examines the current state of Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) surveillance-to-notification systems. The project explores their functionality, challenges, and effectiveness through a rapid scoping review. The insights gained will help identify gaps and opportunities to strengthen Africa’s outbreak response mechanisms and enhance the resilience of health systems across the continent.