Connecting early-career African scientists with PhD supervisors and industry experts working at the frontier of synthetic biology, cancer research, and quantum physics.
Connecting early-career African scientists with PhD supervisors and industry experts working at the frontier of synthetic biology, cancer research, and computational physics.
Hela Bio is an advanced S.T.E.M mentorship program for Africa, supporting undergraduates in their third and fourth years, Masters graduates, and over-graduates with two or more years of research and industry experience.
Our core research and development portfolios sit in system and synthetic biology for cancer, and computational physics with cohorts guided by PhD fellows and industry experts working at the frontier of these fields.
Mentorship is locally rooted in Africa and globally supported by fellows in academia and industry abroad.
Whether you're early in your scientific journey or returning to research after time in industry, there's a pathway designed for where you are.
Third- and fourth-year students looking for a structured introduction to research, mentorship, and the discipline of scientific work.
Recent Masters degree holders ready to translate coursework into original research and the early steps of an academic career.
Graduates with two or more years of research or industry experience, returning with field-tested questions and ready to take on supervisory roles within their cohorts.
Computational biology and quantum physics represent cutting-edge domains within R&D. Unlocking discoveries in medicine, genetics, materials science, and information technology.
The program is built around four practical commitments, each one closing a gap that early-career African scientists typically have to bridge alone.
Tech transfer in synthetic biology and quantum physics depends on partnerships between research institutions and industry. We foster those collaborations directly, so the bridge between theoretical advances and practical applications is something cohorts can walk, not something they have to build themselves.
Through partnerships with regional labs, cohorts get access to the facilities, equipment, and expert guidance needed to run real experimental research. Quality outcomes follow access; access follows relationships.
Experienced researchers guide cohorts from experimental design through data analysis to manuscript preparation. With the goal of publishing in international peer-reviewed journals. Visibility and credibility are part of the work.
Researchers shouldn't have to navigate patent filing alone. We support cohorts through patent searches, drafting, and filing strategy. Protecting the intellectual property that emerges from their work.
Every project team is built around a layered structure; senior researchers supervise, mid-career scientists ambassador, and the next generation does the hands-on work.
PhD fellows and industry fellows; the senior researchers and practitioners who guide the cohort's research direction.
Masters-level researchers with two or more years of research and industry experience, bridging supervisors and the rest of the cohort.
Graduates, over-graduates, and undergraduate interns in their third and fourth years; doing the hands-on research that drives the project forward.
Hela Bio is committed to an open-source approach to intellectual property; modeled on frameworks already trusted by the global synthetic biology community.
We are evaluating an OpenMTA-aligned strategy: the Open Material Transfer Agreement, developed by the BioBricks Foundation and the OpenPlant Initiative, provides a transparent legal framework for open sharing of biological materials.
Alongside it, we look to BioBricks; standardized biological parts that can be assembled into new genetic circuits and systems, adhering to the same principles of open sharing.
Core technologies are subject to patent research during early development, but the long-term intent is to transition them into an open-source model. Fostering collaboration within our partner ecosystem and making it possible for others to apply these technologies in adjacent industrial domains.
Final work products are governed by a copyleft approach similar to GPLv3, ensuring that anyone who builds on our work shares their improvements back into the commons.
