The Dr Paul Davis scholarship gave me the reassurance that pursuing a PhD was a step in the right direction at this stage in my career. It also reaffirmed the relevance of my research.
Before research became her career, Jeniffer Nagudi, Statistician, was a pharmacist trying to understand where her future might take her. During her pharmacy residency, she gained experience in both public and private healthcare systems. It was her exposure to research settings, however, that stayed with her. One of her earliest experiences involved helping doctors work through a pile of patient files to identify people who had experienced renal failure while receiving HIV treatment.
She did not yet fully understand what research involved. But she knew she wanted to be part of it. “I was certain it was the path I desired to follow.”
That early experience led her to pursue an MSc and, in 2022, to join The Aurum Institute. Since then, her work as a statistician has allowed her to contribute to research aimed at improving population health. “It is through research that new avenues are explored to improve the quality of our health.”
In 2025, Jeniffer’s journey took another step forward when she was awarded the Dr Paul Davis Academic Excellence Scholarship, an award that supports academic development and recognises emerging research talent at Aurum.
Named in honour of Dr Paul Davis, who spent more than 15 years at Aurum and whose contribution extended beyond the organisation into medical rescue services, human rights and social justice, the scholarship carries a legacy that resonated with Jeniffer.
“The Dr Paul Davis scholarship gave me the reassurance that pursuing a PhD was a step in the right direction at this stage in my career. It also reaffirmed the relevance of my research.”
That reassurance mattered. As an early-career researcher, Jeniffer says doubt can easily creep in. Being selected for the scholarship helped quiet some of that uncertainty.
“As an early career researcher, it is easy for doubt to creep in as one progresses. However, the award of the scholarship dissipated all such doubt.”
The recognition also prompted her to think about the kind of career she wants to build. Knowing more about Dr Davis and the breadth of his contribution challenged her to think beyond professional achievement.
“I have been challenged to pursue a career and live a life that positively impacts others.”
That sense of purpose is now closely connected to her PhD work in TB prevention. Given the impact TB continues to have, Jeniffer believes prevention is essential to ending the epidemic. She hopes her research will help inform programmes on the effective delivery of TB preventive treatment and provide insights that can strengthen other TB prevention efforts.
“With every study I am involved in, the core of it is to improve health.”
The scholarship process itself also made her look more critically at her work. Preparing for a rigorous selection process meant thinking deeply about what she was doing, why it mattered and how to communicate it.
“Why am I doing this, how am I doing it and how can I explain it to others to understand it the way I do?”
Those are questions that extend beyond one scholarship or one stage of her career. They reflect a young researcher developing her confidence, finding her voice and thinking about how evidence can ultimately improve people’s lives.
She holds onto one belief that keeps her work grounded. “Every piece of work I am involved in is purposed to enhance people’s health, which in turn serves as a promise to them of a better tomorrow.”
“Education and furtherance of people’s careers, doing the things that they really enjoy and stimulate them, is just a wonderful expression of Aurum’s dedication to people.”
— Dr Paul Davis