23 Jul 2025: ISH member Arinola Akinnibosun is one of two early career investigators to have been awarded an ISH Collaboration Exchange Scholarship earlier this year. The scholarships, each worth USD 5,000, were awarded to support the development of international collaborations which began at the 2024 ISH Scientific Meeting.
For the scholarship, Arinola was hosted from 2 nd to 27 th June 2025 by Ruan Kruger, based at the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART), North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Here, Arinola and Ruan reflect and report back on the exchange visit:
Arinola
This exchange visit, supported by the ISH Collaboration Exchange Scholarship, aimed to contribute genetic analysis expertise to an ongoing study of childhood hypertension in South Africa. The visit also sought to strengthen integration between genotype and phenotype data and build long-term cross-institutional collaboration in African genomics research.
During my four-week visit, I was hosted by Prof Ruan Kruger in the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) at North-West University. I contributed to a collaborative study within a paediatric cohort, supporting analysis of specific gene variants linked to hypertension, and contributing to a scoping review manuscript examining genetic associations with paediatric hypertension and related risk factors.
In parallel, I began exploring a complementary research direction focused on rare variant annotation in cardiovascular genes. This work was shaped by methodological challenges encountered during the exchange and aims to better understand the relevance and limitations of current annotation tools in African paediatric populations.
Beyond data analysis, I presented at the HART Colloquium, sharing insights on how genetic research can enhance our understanding of hypertension and emphasizing the value of integrating genomics into chronic disease research. I also participated in a panel discussion with fellow researchers speaking to community health workers about hypertension, kidney disease, and genetics. These interactions helped connect scientific research with community health perspectives and supported broader public understanding of genomics.
Site visits to study locations provided firsthand insight into cohort design, and biosample workflows. I also attended training sessions on ECHO measurement and a new ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) system. These trainings gave me a clearer understanding of how cardiovascular data is collected in real-world paediatric settings. Working closely with a local PhD student also provided a valuable opportunity for mutual learning, particularly around variant prioritisation and data interpretation in the context of African population genomics.
Many of these collaborative opportunities were made possible through the thoughtful support and facilitation of the host, Prof Kruger, and the HART team, including introductions to clinical sites, access to training, and participation in research meetings.
This exchange visit deepened my capacity to integrate genetic data within a phenotype-rich, real-world research environment. It sharpened my skills in collaborative study design, interdisciplinary engagement, and research framing. Importantly, it highlighted the limitations of applying adult-centric genetic models in African paediatric settings, revealing gaps in variant representation, functional annotation, and ancestry-aware interpretation.
The visit also laid the groundwork for future collaborations, from stress- and sleep- related genetic studies in other cohorts to new directions leveraging existing genotype data for paediatric chronic disease research. Exposure to interdisciplinary team dynamics and the ethical considerations of genomics in African contexts was especially formative.
This experience has significantly shaped my research trajectory, reinforcing the importance of ancestry-relevant genomics and supporting a more translational and collaborative approach in future work.”
I plan to continue working on collaborative manuscripts, including data analyses and a scoping review on paediatric hypertension. I will maintain close collaboration with South African research partners through ongoing data work, joint publications, and mentorship. Finally, I aim to further develop the research directions sparked by this exchange and explore new opportunities for collaboration.
Ruan
The fellowship combined structured research activities with community-based engagements to afford a comprehensive understanding of childhood hypertension in diverse South African contexts:
These components aimed to integrate Dr Akinnibosun’s expertise with existing HART projects while promoting mutual knowledge exchange and expanding networks.
During her tenure, Dr Akinnibosun applied advanced genomics methodologies to the Exercise, Arterial Modulation and Nutrition in Youth South Africa Study (ExAMIN Youth SA). Key achievements included:
Her analyses demonstrated the feasibility of investigating paediatric hypertension genomics within African populations and provided foundational data for subsequent in-depth studies.
Although the fellowship duration was limited to one month, it established a robust framework for sustained collaborative research. Planned joint activities include co- authored manuscripts, coordinated grant submissions, and expansion of genomic investigations across additional African cohorts.
The ISH Collaboration Exchange Scholarship is an initiative representing a strategic mechanism to cultivate scientific networks and enhance research capacity among emerging hypertension investigators which favourably stimulated a strong future collaboration.
Photo: Arinola and Ruan with June Fabian, a clinician scientist and Director of Clinical Research at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, and Lisa Ware, Associate Professor at the SAMRC Extramural Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit.