KINGSTON, Jamaica – The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica on Wednesday announced that Senior Lecturer and Anticancer Researcher, Dr Simone Badal, has been selected among 25 scientists worldwide for the inaugural Rising Scholars: Breast Cancer programme.

The Springer Nature and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) made the announcement in a press statement on Tuesday.

According to the UWI Mona, this prestigious programme, a partnership between Nature Portfolio and BCRF, provides Early Career Researchers (ECRs) working in the field of cancer research with valuable resources for professional development and career advancement.

Reacting to the announcement, Dr Dadal said, “This is a significant achievement, and I am thrilled and humbled by this opportunity that will impact my growth as a cancer researcher significantly.”

According to the press statement released by Springer Nature and BCRF, the 25 researchers were chosen with a specific focus on Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and underserved communities from around the world. They emphasised that the selection of this inaugural cohort reflects their ongoing commitment to fostering diversity and equity in scholarly research and publishing.

The cohort will benefit from a series of professional development opportunities, including four Nature Masterclasses with Nature editors and trainers. These Masterclasses will address essential skills in scientific publishing and writing, communicating research to the public, and data sharing and management. In addition, a select group within the cohort will be provided with scientific editing services for their research papers.

The programme builds on more than a decade of successful collaboration between Springer Nature and BCRF while promoting its core mission: “redressing substantial inequity in health outcomes”.

Dr Badal’s groundbreaking Black cancer cell lines research aligns with this mission, as it holds significant promise for bridging this gap while advancing the understanding and treatment of this devastating disease.

“The UWI Mona extends its heartfelt congratulations to Dr Badal on this well-deserved recognition. We are confident that her participation in the Rising Scholars: Breast Cancer Programme will further propel her remarkable research and its potential impact on global health,” a statement read.