ABSTRACT
Current projections suggest the burden of stroke in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will escalate over coming decades
due to an acceleration in prevalence of risk factors, against a background of ill-prepared health systems to deliver
appropriate prevention and treatment solutions. Moreover, while the genetic architecture of a population may
play an instrumental role in risk factor predisposition & ultimately the manifestation of stroke, knowledge about
role of genes & their interactions with environmental factors to cause stroke among Africans remains fragmentary
& inadequately explored. Nevertheless, too few stroke studies have been conducted in Africa to date due to a
severe lack of regional stroke research capacity. The Sub-Saharan Africa Conference on Stroke (SSACS) 2020
is the first dedicated cross-national scientific forum focused on cerebrovascular disease in SSA, with the
overarching goal of bringing together key stakeholders, identifying gaps in knowledge, setting priorities for stroke
research, and identifying/supporting promising young investigators with an interest in Stroke research. SSACS
2020 is a one-day symposium, which will be held in mid-July 2020 in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, featuring plenary and
keynote talks by distinguished researchers, balanced symposia, poster sessions, and community engagement
sessions. SSACS is a collaborative initiative with several global organizations including the World Stroke
Organization, World Federation of Neurology, among others. The involvement of these groups brings to this
important effort, wide access to relevant scientific disciplines, volunteer engagement from leaders in the field,
worthwhile in-kind resources, and proven experience in implementing high impact programs. Basic scientists,
translational researchers and clinicians, seasoned investigators and early career scientists will be invited, but
recognizing that early stage investigators will be the future of scientific progress in SSA, a major emphasis is to
encourage the active involvement of an early career cohort of investigators. This proposal specifically requests
support for 20 Young Investigator Travel Awards, which we expect to be an integral part of our strategy to recruit,
retain and actively engage young SSA investigators in stroke research. SSACS Specific Aims are: To host a
forum which will identify knowledge gaps and provide opportunities for researchers from diverse disciplines to
discuss cutting-edge research about stroke epidemiology in SSA; 2) To accelerate collaborations via networking
opportunities among stakeholders; 3) To award travel scholarships to 20 multidisciplinary Post-Doctoral Scholars
from a regional pool committed to stroke research careers ; 4) To disseminate knowledge generated from SSACS
via scientific & public venues; 5) To evaluate effectiveness of SSACS by assessing number of attendees, and
Young Investigator Awardee Achievements.