Last week was an extra special one at CHRF as we welcomed our collaborators from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)! Bringing together data, technology and the communities we serve, it was a step forward in our ongoing efforts to build local capacity.

The Shalek Lab team, led by Prof. Alex Shalek, included Tammy Lan, James Pan, Tyler Dao, and Jeff Gahan. This collaboration brought together cutting-edge single-cell genomics technology and deeply rooted field data, helping advance our single-cell genomics work to better understand the impact of the pneumococcal vaccine.

The week was filled with conversations, curiosity, and connection. Our visitors explored CHRF’s laboratories in Dhaka and Mirzapur, exchanged knowledge through presentations, and conducted interactive training sessions for CHRF's single-cell genomics team.

Prof. Shalek also gave a talk, hosted by the "Building Scientists for Bangladesh" initiative, where he shared his insights from his research journey in single-cell genomics, including his work during COVID-19. The Q&A that followed was filled with thoughtful questions from the CHRF members and BSB alumni who joined.

The visit to our surveillance sites in Mirzapur was a highlight of the week. As the team witnessed firsthand how samples are collected, especially in low-resource settings, they were able to connect more clearly with the actual communities behind the data.

Through this visit, we came away not only with new knowledge from their sessions, but also with insights from how they approach science and life. As the visit comes to an end, we look forward to learning from one another, growing together, and strengthening a collaboration that bridges science across borders.