Contrary to popular belief, researchers do not just end up in academia. Some of them go on to work in government labs, private companies, consulting firms, and NGOs.
In fact, nearly 50% of scientists leave academia within 10 years of publishing their first paper, according to a 2024 study by Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań.
Victory Ekpin, a public health professional from Nigeria, can add to this statement.
“Even the research done in academia is done with the aim of impacting something in the real world,” says Ekpin. “Yes, most of the time, academicians can get lost in the research process and forget the real-world applications. But the truth [lies in] where research started and where it’s supposed to go, [and how it’s] supposed to influence real-life decisions. And by that standard, it cannot only be limited to the four walls of a university.”
With over seven years of experience, Ekpin has done her fair share of public health research work, progressing from assistant to team lead. Now, she is an associate at ACE Strategy and Consult Limited, a leading consulting firm in Nigeria.
But admittedly, working in public health was not her first choice.
Ekpin attended the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to understand more about public health research. Source: Victory Ekpin
From becoming a surgeon to a public health researcher
Ekpin is a medical doctor by background, but during her final year of medical school, a public health course sparked a new interest.
“So in that course, we conducted research, and I enjoyed it so much,” she says. “The process was amazing.”
This led her to consult with lecturers to gain a deeper understanding of the field, which eventually led to her becoming their research assistant. Through her brief but insightful part-time work, she gained more knowledge and research skills related to public health interventions.
Still, Ekpin was torn — she knew she had always wanted to be a surgeon, but this growing love for public health research meant she started seeking ways to combine both aspects of her passions into one.
“But the more I practice medicine, I realised that it was so emotionally draining; it was not fun for me,” says Ekpin. “There are guidelines and rules and regulations. I wanted to be the one setting those guidelines. So, I decided to do the full stretch into public health, which is what led me to go into my master’s.”
The master’s in question? An MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), a member institution of the University of London.
LSHTM is one of the world’s leading public health universities, renowned for its research and postgraduate education in public and global health, as evidenced by its #2 spot in the ShanghaiRanking. Here, students and faculty alike are on a mission to improve health in the UK and worldwide by shaping health policy and translating research findings into tangible results to meet today’s challenges.
There’s no end to public health research, and Ekpin is ready to make her mark on it in Nigeria and the rest of the world. Source: Victory Ekpin
Using public health research to build a better Nigeria
Ekpin’s master’s degree in public health is one that she is proud of.
“Research for my thesis was about how community health workers in Nigeria can be supported and supervised to bring about impact,” shares Ekpin. “So I was looking at different models that have been used around sub-Saharan Africa to try to identify which combination works.”
“I had about 59 studies, bringing in different interventions and then seeing what worked best, which worked best, and then putting them together. This brought out a broader framework of what works for supporting community health workers to carry out their jobs in sub-Saharan Africa.”
Another public health research project that Ekpin is especially proud of is one that she won from the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) Early Career Grants Programme in 2024. Here, she looked into improving HPV vaccine uptake among girls aged 9-14 years in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria.
Although the HPV vaccine has been available globally, it was not available in Nigeria until 2016. And when it was, it was very expensive, making it unaffordable for girls who come from underprivileged families.
However, in 2023, the federal government of Nigeria, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, and other organisations procured the vaccines, made them free, and added them to the national immunisation package. Unfortunately, the intake was very low due to misconceptions and uncertainties towards the effects of the vaccine.
But Ekpin isn’t deterred by this outcome. Instead, she’s motivated to create awareness strategies to help the community understand why vaccines are important.
“We are currently doing the education campaigns, and the vaccine uptake has shot up dramatically because of this,” shares Ekpin.
Of course, it’s hard work that requires an immense effort every day, so it’s no surprise that even the most driven, like Ekpin, would suffer from burnout.
Ekpin’s answer to not feeling burned out from her public health research work is to take some time off for herself. Source: Victory Ekpin
How to take care of yourself as a public health professional
A 2021 study showed that 69% of healthcare workers in Nigeria suffered from burnout. Poor self-rated health and longer years in professional service were found to be the leading causes of this problem.
“We only have 24 hours in a day, and there’s just so much to do if you want to achieve certain things. So burnout sometimes is inevitable,” says Ekpin. “But what I do know is to take time for myself. I have gotten to the point where I realised that all of this is just work, no matter how much I love it.”
And for Ekpin, there is nothing that a good book or an episode of her favourite series could not fix. “It doesn’t take away the burnout per se, but it cools me down a little bit.”
That is not the only advice that she has for students planning to enter the public health field. In fact, she has three.
The first, find your “why.”
“Why did you go into public health? Why do you want to do this?” adds Ekpin. She thought that being a surgeon was her definite career path. It was not until her public health course that she knew she wanted to do more, not just follow guidelines, but be the one setting them.
The second, chart a path for yourself.
“There are so many different aspects of public health,” says Ekpin. “There’s research, digital health, monitoring and evaluation, epidemiology – find something to pour your energy into.”
And that brings Ekpin to the last piece of advice: networking to put your name on people’s radar. Do not make the same mistake as Ekpin, a self-claimed introvert who went to networking events only to sit and eat alone.
“That’s actually something I wish I knew,” she says. “I would have done much more of that, not just network with my colleagues, but network with others as well.”
