Programme Overview

The TORG Global Research Fellowship (Mentorship Track) is a 10–12-month structured research training programme designed to strengthen global surgical, perioperative, and anesthesia research capacity. The Fellowship connects early-career clinicians, researchers, and trainees with world-class mentors across multiple specialties to support research development, manuscript preparation, publication, leadership growth, and career advancement.

This programme is delivered through a blended model of mentorship, teaching workshops, supervised research, and academic presentations.

Objectives

  • To strengthen global surgical and perioperative research capacity.
  • To provide structured mentorship to early-career clinicians and researchers.
  • To promote ethical, evidence-based, and impactful research.
  • To facilitate publication and global dissemination through The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ).

Meet the 2025/2026 Fellowship Cohort

We are proud to unveil our diverse group of fellows representing 17 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. These emerging clinician-researchers are embarking on a 12-month journey of mentorship, blended learning, scientific inquiry, and global collaboration.




Demographics – Countries Represented in the 2025/2026 Fellowship Cohort

Unique Countries (17):
Ethiopia (6), Pakistan (4), Rwanda (3), Nigeria (4), Cameroon (4), Somaliland (3), United Kingdom (2), Turkey (1), Saudi Arabia (1), USA (1), Uganda (1), Sudan (1), Ghana (1), Afghanistan (1), Singapore (1), Sierra Leone (1)

Programme Structure

The Fellowship consists of:

  • Virtual Induction & Onboarding
  • Six Monthly Research Workshops led by expert facilitators
  • Structured Mentor–Mentee Meetings (minimum monthly)
  • Independent Research Work with continuous mentor feedback
  • Ethics Submission (TORG-IRB or local IRB)
  • Data Collection & Analysis
  • Manuscript Writing and Submission to TORGJ
  • Abstract Submission to TORG or partner conferences
  • Final Presentation at TORG Virtual Symposium
  • Graduation (In-person at IBC Oxford Congress OR virtual)

Total workload: 400 hours
ECTS Equivalent: 14 credits
UK Credit Equivalent: 40 credits
US Graduate Credit Equivalent: 8 credits

Programme Timeline (2025–2026)

Virtual Induction: 30 November 2025
Workshops & Mentorship: December 2025 – September 2026
Abstract Submission: August 2026
Manuscript Submission: September 2026
Oxford Graduation: 15–17 September 2026
Virtual Graduation (Alternative): October 2026

A full month-by-month guide is available in the Programme Handbook.

Teaching Workshops (2025–2026)

Six cohort-wide workshops covering:

  • Development of Research Questions
  • Literature Review & Conceptual Frameworks
  • Research Methodology
  • Data Analysis & Interpretation
  • Scientific Writing
  • Presentation Skills & Knowledge Translation

Deliverables

Each TORG Research Fellow will:

  • Complete a research, audit, or quality improvement project.
  • Submit an abstract to a TORG or TORG-partner conference (in-person or virtual).
  • Publish findings in The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ).
  • Present outcomes at the TORG Virtual Global Research Symposium.
  • Receive a Certificate of Completion.

Recognition & Benefits

Upon successful completion, fellows will receive:

  • Official Certificate: TORG Research Fellowship (Mentorship Track)
  • Publication Credit: Manuscript in The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ)
  • Presentation Opportunity: TORG Virtual Symposium
  • Professional Profile: Featured on the TORG Mentorship Webpage
  • Networking Access: Integration into the TORG Global Research Community
  • Global visibility: Through global webinar and conference presentation sessions.

Graduation

The TORG Global Research Fellowship (Mentorship Track) culminates in a formal graduation recognizing Fellows’ research achievements and contributions to global surgical and perioperative sciences. Graduates are celebrated through either an in-person graduation, hosted within a major international congress, or a virtual graduation to ensure inclusion for all participants. The preferred option, the in-person graduation, will be hosted during the 7th IBC Oxford World Congress, taking place from September 15–17, 2026, at the University of Oxford Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford OX1 4BG, United Kingdom, accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England). This collaboration, under TORG’s standing MoU with the International Bariatric Club (IBC), offers Fellows a world-class opportunity for visibility, networking, and recognition at a globally respected academic event. In-person attendance is self-sponsored (travel, accommodation, visa, and registration as applicable), and the IBC will provide official invitation or visa support letters upon request for confirmed graduates.

Fellows are eligible for graduation upon completion of all fellowship deliverables, including a mentored research, audit, or quality improvement project; submission of an abstract to a TORG or TORGpartner conference; submission of a manuscript to The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ); and participation in scheduled mentorship sessions or workshops. Virtual graduation (Plan B) will feature live presentations, mentor remarks, and digital certification, with session recordings shared for professional portfolios. Graduation confirmation should be completed by June 30, 2026, and the virtual ceremony is tentatively scheduled for late September or October 2026.

One-Year Research Fellowship (Mentorship Track)

Building global capacity in surgical, perioperative, and health systems research. Meet our Mentors below.

APPLICATION NOW CLOSED FOR THIS FELLOWSHIP

MEET THE DIRECTOR

Dr. Aishwarya M. S.

  • Director, Mentorships, Clinical Observerships & Fellowships, The Operating Room Global (TORG).
  • Section Editor (Surgery & Oncology Research) & Peer Reviewer, The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ).
  • Associate Fellow, American College of Surgeons.
  • Member, SAGES | ASI
  • ORCID: 0000-0003-4335-1807

Meet Our Mentors

Each mentor’s profile highlights their professional journey and areas of expertise to help mentees identify the most suitable guidance for their research interests. You can explore details such as Qualifications, Current Experience, Mentorship Focus, Preferred Research Areas or Projects, Mentorship Style, and Hours Available. These profiles reflect the diverse expertise and global commitment of TORG’s Mentorship Network to advancing surgical, perioperative, and health systems research.

GLOBAL RESEARCH MENTOR

1. Ambassador Prof./Dr. Adebusola Adenike Owokole

Mentorship Style: One-to-one and group mentorship; project supervision and skills-building workshops.
Hours Available: Selective allocation, primarily for high-impact projects, multinational initiatives, and reassigned fellows requiring structured oversight.

Role: High-Level Global Research Mentor
Training & Academic Institutions: University of Limerick, Ireland; Certified by Harvard University, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Université Côte d’Azur (France), Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge), Ondo State University of Medical Sciences, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, and Babcock University, Nigeria.
Current Experience: Founder, President & CEO, The Operating Room Global (TORG); Founding Director & CEO, The Operating Room Global Centre for Education, Research & Innovation (Ireland); CEO, Adebusola Owokole Training & Consulting; Chair, Ambassadors’ Club, The Robotic Global Surgical Society (TROGSS); Global Research Mentor; Surgical Systems Strategist; Executive Lead, Multinational Surgical Safety and Systems Strengthening Projects; Associate Director, Jasons Health Organization; International Faculty and Keynote Speaker in surgical systems strengthening, research governance, and workforce development.
Mentorship Focus and Reaserch Areas: Global surgery and surgical systems strengthening, surgical & perioperative research and quality improvement, multinational collaborative research, research leadership and academic strategy, ethics governance, publication mentorship and global research visibility, and capacity building.
Mentorship Style: Strategic, structured, outcome-driven, milestone-focused, high-accountability mentorship, emphasis on ethical compliance and methodological rigor, publication readiness and conference positioning, global scalability and measurable impact.

GLOBAL RESEARCH MENTOR

2. Dr. Elhadi Miskeen, MBBS, MPH, PGDip (Research Methods & Biostatistics), FFPH

Mentorship Style: One-to-one and group mentorship; project supervision and skills-building workshops.
Hours Available: 2-4 hours/month

Role: Research Mentor
Qualifications: MBBS; Master of Public Health; Postgraduate Diploma in Research Methods & Biostatistics; Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health (UK). Associate professor and head Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Bisha University, Saudi Arabia Associate professor at Institute Safe Motherhood and Childhood, University of Gezira, Sudan. Founder and director of Miskeen medical Academy. TUFH policy fellowship, MFPH (UK Faculty of Public Health), FACHDM (Fellowship of American College of healthcare data management), IHI (fellowship of Institute of Healthcare improvement). Certified Public Health leader- Harvard University. Certified Coach – Harvard University Peer Coaching Initiative
Current Experience: Public Health Physician & Epidemiologist; Specialist in preventive medicine, implementation science, and quality improvement for surgical safety and maternal health.
Preferred Research Areas:
– Reducing maternal mortality and morbidity (with emphasis on obstetric hemorrhage & peripartum surgical interventions).
– Improving perioperative care and access to safe surgical services (e.g., C-sections) in low-resource settings.
– Applying quality improvement methodologies & advanced data management to enhance surgical outcomes.
– Advancing medical education research to build obstetric and surgical skills capacity.
Mentorship Focus: Global health, maternal mortality reduction, perioperative safety, and quality improvement research.

GLOBAL RESEARCH MENTOR

3. Rev. Bright Worlanyo Aklamanu, PhD(c)

Mentorship Style: Individual mentorship and guided project supervision with quantitative focus.
Hours Available: 6-8 hours/month

Role: Research Mentor
Qualifications: PhD (Medical Physics, ongoing), MSc (Medical Physics), BSc (Physics).
Current Experience: Neuromonitoring Officer, FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital, Ghana; Clinician-Researcher in perioperative neuromonitoring and surgical imaging safety.
Mentorship Focus: Surgical safety, perioperative neuromonitoring, radiation dose optimization, data-driven research.
Preferred Research Areas/Projects:
– Perioperative neuromonitoring and surgical safety.
– Radiation dose estimation and optimization in surgical imaging.
– Application of data science and quantitative methods in clinical research.

GLOBAL RESEARCH MENTOR

4. Dr. Myada A. Ibrahim, MBBS, MPH (Epidemiology), MHPE, PGDip (Research Methods & Biostatistics), FFPH (UK, Distinction)

Mentorship Style: One-to-one guidance, group sessions, and collaborative research mentoring.
Hours Available: 4 hours/month, can be increased up to 10 hours.

Role: Research Mentor
Qualifications: MBBS; MPH (Epidemiology); MHPE; PGDip (RM&B); FFPH (UK, Distinction).
Current Experience: Public Health Physician & Epidemiologist with extensive experience in evidence synthesis, implementation science, and health systems strengthening.
Mentorship Focus: Evidence synthesis, epidemiology, infectious disease research, and capacity building in public health.

GLOBAL RESEARCH MENTOR

5. Dr. Asjed Sanaullah, MPH (HSA), PGDip (Lifestyle Medicine), BLS, ACLS, PALS, BPP & ASLS Certified

Mentorship Style: Flexible, one-to-one and group mentorship with emphasis on methodological rigor and project supervision
Hours Available: As needed.

Role: Research Mentor
Qualifications:
MPH (HSA) Gold Medalist; PGDip (Lifestyle Medicine, USA); Cert. Trauma Emergencies & Care, University of Colorado; Cert. Instructional Methods in Health Professions Education, University of Michigan; Cert. Leading Healthcare Quality & Safety, George Washington University; BLS, ACLS, PALS, BPP & ASLS Instructor; Advanced Critical & Neonatal Care, Agha Khan University.
Current Experience: Secretary/PRO/Peer Reviewer, The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ); Clinical Cardiac Perfusionist, King Edward Medical University; Lecturer, Ibadat International University, Islamabad.
Mentorship Focus: Surgical and public health research, methodology, quality improvement, and capacity building in academic writing.
Preferred Research Areas/Projects:
Medicine, Surgery and Public Health related research areasResearch methodology, peer review, and evidence synthesisCapacity building in manuscript preparation, publication ethics, and critical appraisal.

GLOBAL RESEARCH MENTOR

6. Dr. Megbar Dessalegn, MD, MPH, FCS-ECSA

Mentorship Style:
Flexible, emphasizing one-to-one mentorship, project supervision, and guidance on collaborative research for early-career clinicians and researchers.
Hours Available:
Up to 3 hours per month.

Role: Research Mentor
Qualifications:
MD, Master of Public Health (MPH) with Distinction, General Surgery Specialty Certificate, St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College; Fellow of the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (FCS-ECSA); Associate Professor of Surgery, Debre Markos University, Ethiopia; Coordinator, NaPQIN Academia & Research; Doctor of Medicine with Distinction, Hawassa University, Ethiopia.
Current Experience:
Associate Professor of Surgery at Debre Markos University, Ethiopia; Coordinator, NaPQIN Academia & Research; Provides clinical and perioperative surgical care while actively mentoring medical students, interns, and residents; Leads curriculum development, postgraduate mentorship, and evidence-based surgical research initiatives; Former Dean, School of Medicine, and Academic Director, Health Science Campus, Debre Markos University.
Mentorship Focus:
Perioperative and clinical outcome research, surgical education, research methodology, scientific writing, evidence-based practice, and surgical capacity building.
Preferred Research Areas/Projects:

  • Surgical, Perioperative and clinical outcome studies
  • Surgical education and curriculum development
  • Quality improvement and healthcare systems strengthening
  • Research methodology, scientific writing, and capacity-building initiatives
  • Collaborative clinical audit and implementation research.

GLOBAL RESEARCH MENTOR

7. Ms. Parvin Mozafari

Mentorship Style: Group mentorship preferred; supports early-career researchers and students.
Hours Available: 25–30 hours/month

Role: Junior Research Mentor
Qualifications: Bachelor of General Biology (Tehran, Iran); 5th-Year Medical Student, University of Georgia.
Current Experience: Official Student Researcher, University of Georgia; Research Assistant, Medjection; Research Coordinator, Walter.Dandy.ge; Multiple international conference presentations (EAN, ACC, AHA).
Mentorship Focus: Robotic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Cardiovascular surgery, emerging research, Neuroscience, gene therapy, stem cell research, and global health.