Dr. Emma Oliveira is a dental surgeon and businesswoman whose talents for scouting the perfect location, the right staff, the best equipment, and all the resources to create a beautiful clinic created a hit in Ghana and now, the world. She is a business partner at the Dental Real Estate Company and is constantly scouting for new locations, resources, and partners for what she says are not your ordinary clinics. She shares that they are well-designed, beautifully appointed facilities that are welcoming and comfortable. In a new direction, Dr. Oliveira points out that the amenities will be more in line with what you’d call luxury, and she has an interesting idea on how and where these special clinics will be found. She talks about her projects and mission to combine tourism, cultural exchange, and business facilitation between Ghana and Salvador, all in this episode with Mary Kurek, Host and Co-Host, Mary Chirwa, an aspiring dental surgeon from Zambia.
Anke Weisheit is the Co-Founder and Chair of Innovation and Business Management at Pharm-Bio Technology and Traditional Medicine Center (PHARMBIOTRAC). One of 24 Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE II) Programs, this university-based center has a critical mission guided by Weisheit’s dedication and vision that goes from incubator to hospital. The goal of this program is to create a critical mass of specialized and qualified people resources capable of advancing traditional medicine and pharmaceutical biotechnology for Africa’s socioeconomic development.
In this episode of Frontrunners Innovate, Anke shares how they are approaching this goal and the vision that has yet to be realized. Co-host for this episode is Dr. David Ajibade, a physician, memory disease specialist, broadcaster, and founder of the Brain and Body Foundation.
“We are open to discussions about a variety of topics, including innovation incubation, scholarships, research grants, exchanges, infrastructure development, and technical assistance to other institutions/countries in creating centers similar to ours, among others.” Anke Weisheit
PHARMBIOTRAC Story:
The Pharm-Biotechnology and Traditional Medicine Centre (PHARMBIOTRAC) is one of 24 Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE II) Programs, founded in 2017 at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Uganda. The goal of PHARMBIOTRAC is to create a critical mass of specialized and qualified people resources capable of advancing traditional medicine and pharmaceutical biotechnology for Africa’s socioeconomic development. Traditional medicine, a fundamental component of the PHARMBIOTRAC objective, is mostly made up of herbal remedies derived from medicinal plants that have been utilized for thousands of years in Africa. At PHARMBIOTRAC, we have graduated 22 PhDs and over 75 master’s students on full scholarships in the fields of pharmacognosy and clinical pharmacy, incubated and funded over 30 start-ups, and taught over 800 herbalists in herbal medicine conservation and production improvement. Dr. Casim Umba Tolo is the center’s leader, overseeing a world-class team of scientists and practitioners. He is also a distinguished scientist and academic and serves as the CEO of Friends of PHARMBIOTRAC Foundation (FPF) Uganda.
Prof. Patrick Engeu Ogwang, Principal Investigator of PHARMBIOTRAC, led the creation of COVIDEX an herbal medicine to treat COVID-19, which has provided many Ugandans and others around the world with a natural treatment alternative for COVID-19. Prof. Robert Tamukong, a Visiting Professor from the University of Minnesota, is leading the development of the Clinical Pharmacy Program at MUST and directing the postgraduate program at PHARMBIOTRAC and is the President of the Friends of PHARMBIOTRAC Foundation (FPF), USA. PHARMBIOTRAC’s Innovation Incubation and Business Mentoring Program is coordinated by Eng. Anke Weisheit. To engage with benefactors in the United States, we founded the 501c3 Friends of PHARMBIOTRAC Foundation (FPF).
Dr. David Montgomery is that rare combination of physician, entrepreneur, and media personality. He is a cardiologist and founder/managing partner of the PREvent Clinic, Inc. in Atlanta Georgia. His obvious broadcast-level skillset combined with his passionate message on the prevention of heart disease is both charismatic and compelling and is no doubt what has easily caused his rise to media spokesperson.
In this episode of Frontrunners Innovate, Dr. Montgomery shares the frightening statistics of this rampant killer disease that threatens so many in the US and around the globe. Along with co-host, Dr. Atif Zafar, a medical professional with ER experience and investor/entrepreneur, the discussion traveled along the path of physician knowledge and protocols that should be incorporated as well as screenings that could be made more accessible. The conversation was so invigorating that an opportunity was delivered toward the end of this episode. Listen for it.
