We do not follow changes, we create them!

Dr. Lengwe Sinkala, a 2019 Faculty of International Medical Education alumnus became the first graduate of Privolzhsky Research Medical University to receive the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship. This is a scholarship program for talented students planning postgraduate studies at Cambridge. The scholarship covers all expenses for the duration of the Master's Degree (MSc/MLitt), Doctoral (PhD) or one-year postgraduate study. The competition for the Gates Scholarship is extremely high: more than 50 people per place.

“This is a milestone I hold with great pride, and one that reflects the strong academic foundation I received during my time at the university.” – states Lengwe.

She wanted to share this achievement with the university community, as it represents not only a personal milestone but also the impact of the education and support she received at Privolzhsky Research Medical University. She has expressed hope it may also serve as encouragement for current students who are considering similar global opportunities.

Lengwe will be undertaking a PhD in Engineering at the University of Cambridge within the International Health Systems Group. This is an interdisciplinary team of clinicians and academic engineers who focus on improving healthcare delivery through systems thinking and design.

Her work will sit within the group’s “Systems for Health Equity” theme, which explores how healthcare systems can be redesigned to better serve diverse populations, particularly in resource-constrained settings. The group uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, alongside systems engineering approaches, to understand how healthcare systems function and where improvements can be made.

Following Lengwe’s graduation fr om Privolzhsky Research Medical University, she returned to Southern Africa, wh ere she practised as a medical doctor in both Botswana and Zambia. During this time, she has gained experience across multiple areas of clinical care, and her interest in paediatrics deepened. She also began to recognise that many of the challenges affecting patient outcomes were linked not only to clinical complexity, but also to how healthcare systems are structured and function in practice.

To explore this further, Dr Sinkala pursued a Master’s Degree in Medical Sciences by Research at the University of Edinburgh under the Beit Trust Scholarship, which funds postgraduate studies for students fr om Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi at partner universities in South Africa and the UK. The research was conducted at the Queen’s Medical Research Institute, wh ere she focused on translational science, specifically studying Respiratory Syncytial Virus and the innate immune response to better understand disease mechanisms and contribute toward the development of therapies and vaccines.  

Following this, Lengwe transitioned into human factors research within a global consulting environment, working with pharmaceutical and medical device companies in regulated settings. This involved studying how clinicians and patients interact with healthcare technologies, with a focus on usability, safety, and risk. Through this work, she contributed to improving device design and ensuring that technologies are safe, effective, and aligned with real clinical workflows.

These experiences have led Dr Sinkala to the International Health Systems Group, which represents a natural convergence of her interests. It brings together her clinical background, experience in human factors and healthcare technology, and exposure to research, allowing her to contribute to improving healthcare at a systems level.

Alongside this, Dr Sinkala co-founded Bupalo Children’s Centre in Zambia in 2018, which supports children with special needs through community-based care, outreach programmes, and advocacy for more inclusive approaches, including therapies such as music therapy. This work continues to shape her understanding of the lived realities of patients and families, and reinforces the importance of designing healthcare systems that are responsive to their needs.

Lengwe addressed our students with an inspiring message:

“To the current students at PRMU, I would encourage you to remain curious and open to exploring different paths within medicine. Research is not separate from clinical practice, it is a powerful way of asking questions, challenging existing systems, and improving how we care for patients. You do not need to have everything figured out early on; what matters is being willing to learn, to ask questions, and to follow the areas that genuinely interest you.

Medicine offers many different directions, and research is one of the ways you can contribute to meaningful and lasting change. Stay curious, stay committed, and do not be afraid to think beyond what is immediately in front of you.”