International health conferences: an experience from the eye of an early career researcher

Kritika Dixit, Research Manager

Last year, I had some of the remarkable moments in my research career. On behalf of the BNMT research team, I presented our research studies at two high-level international conferences: European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health (ECTMIH, Liverpool, UK) and The 50^th World Union Conference on Lung Health (Hyderabad, India).

The two conferences accepted five research abstracts for oral, poster, and e-poster presentations which was challenging to juggle time slots, clear messages, and different audiences. My supervisors Dr. Max and Dr. Tom supported my preparation. I also consulted Rob Hale- our Communication Specialist, who advised me on techniques to engage the audience. This prepared me to stand up boldly in the crowd of several thousand researchers.

The research studies at the conferences were based on high-quality evidence from multi-disciplinary areas of epidemiology of infectious diseases, modelling, advanced laboratory tests and digital innovations for global health priorities including social protection, and the newest vaccine development. I also participated in mentorship and career development sessions for early career researchers. What fascinated me the most at the World Lung Heath Conference was the team of young people who were the survivors from tragic respiratory conditions. They raised a pledge from the global community to commit to ‘Nothing about us without us’ and to become more inclusive through community power consolidation to produce coordinated global advocacy.

It is even more challenging to present scientific papers than to write and publish them.. I presented BNMT research on barriers and facilitators to TB treatment, social determinants of TB in Nepal, and the role of active case finding in reducing catastrophic costs, which created curiosity and questions among people.  I designed my posters look enticing and readily understandable, with clear key messages, which later seized the attention of many attendees. E-poster, was a new method of presentation for me but I found it an effective means of interactive discussion.

For a young researcher like me, participating at such international conferences is an efficient and exciting social arena to learn about similar or different disciplines of global health issues. To attend the ECTMIH conference, I also received a travel scholarship from the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

In a nutshell, these conferences have not only been a platform for presenting my work at BNMT but have also boosted my confidence and raised a profound eagerness, enthusiasm and many exciting ideas to expand our research work. This has been one of the best experiences of my life-time. I acknowledge my sincere thanks to Dr. Maxine Caws, Dr. Tom Wingfield, Suman Chandra Gurung, and the entire BNMT team for their support, guidance, and trust.