These three formidable young Gambians are forces to reckon with and have one thing in common which is love and admiration for the sciences to improve human living.

However, what is more compelling is the fact that they both are big dreamers and achievers, most especially the ladies who defied odds to excel in the sciences which are male-dominated until recently.

Now, let’s examine the academic lives of these people:

Dr. Kajally Jobe

He is self-effacing and approachable young engineer who holds a First Class Bachelor's Degree with Honours in Medicinal Chemistry, a Masters in Synthetic Chemistry with Industrial Collaborations and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering.

He's undoubtedly one of the most intelligent young Gambian Ph.D. holders who graduated from A-levels to Ph.D. in the UK. Kajally is also a recipient of the Oxford University Press Outstanding Student Award and Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

 Dr. Amie Saidykhan

After graduating with a Master’s in Chemistry with Pharmaceutical and Forensic Science, she was elected to remain at the University of Bradford to do a Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry.

Amie Saidykhan is indisputably the youngest person and probably the only Kiangka to ever attain such distinction. She won awards, including JOEL Prize for the best MChem graduate in her university.

She completed her Ph.D. education last year but stayed with the University of Bradford to continue her studies of intramolecular nitrogen to carbon rearrangements of orthogonally protected sulphonamides and the synthesis of saccharins.

Dr. Neneh Sallah

Neneh Sallah is a Genomics (data) Scientist. She uses computational tools and statistical methods to analyse large datasets and find solutions to tackle diseases of public health concern. At the moment, she explores how our entire genetic makeup (i.e. genomes, DNA) contribute to how we respond to infections, our chances of getting a disease (or not) and how we respond to drugs and vaccination in the context of the environment we are in.

Currently, Dr. Sallah is a Research Fellow with a focus on international child health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge – one of the world’s top universities.