Health data–driven science and discovery — building capacity across Africa's next generation of researchers.
An NIH-funded partnership between University of Rwanda, AIMS, Washington University in St. Louis, and MDClone — advancing health data science across Africa through synthetic data training and mentored research.
SYNAPSE addresses a critical gap in research capacity across sub-Saharan Africa. By leveraging synthetic data technology — which mirrors statistical properties of real patient data without exposing identifiable information — the project enables rigorous, privacy-preserving research at scale.
The project delivers best-in-class training on the MDClone ADAMS platform, moving trainees from foundational data science concepts through to independent, publication-ready research projects.
Part of the DS-I Africa consortium, SYNAPSE directly contributes to NIH's mission of building sustainable, Africa-led research infrastructure to address the continent's most pressing health challenges.
A structured pathway from training to mentored research and scientific publication
UR, AIMS, and UCT program faculty receive short (1–2 day) beginner and advanced courses in MDClone ADAMS. Includes peer mentoring from expert users at WUSTL, ensuring institutional knowledge is embedded locally.
Selected trainees — master's students, PhD candidates, and junior faculty — engage in immersive, semester-long research projects. Each is paired with a faculty mentor and an expert MDClone user from WUSTL.
Trainees complete Small Research Projects (SRPs) with real scientific publication expectations. Projects target Rwanda's priority health challenges including HIV, malaria, NCDs, and maternal health.
MDClone's ADAMS (Advanced Data Management System) is a pioneering synthetic data generation platform used by leading academic medical centers globally. SYNAPSE provides African researchers with direct access to this cutting-edge tool.
ADAMS generates synthetic datasets that are statistically indistinguishable from real patient data while preserving complete privacy — enabling studies that would otherwise be impossible under traditional data governance frameworks.
Through SYNAPSE, trainees learn to formulate research questions, design studies, and extract meaningful insights — building skills directly transferable to real-world clinical and public health research.
No identifiable patient data — full research capability with zero re-identification risk.
Mirrors real-world health data distributions, enabling valid scientific inference.
Deployable across diverse institutional contexts — no special infrastructure required.
Trainees learn on realistic data while developing skills applicable to real research.
Explore the project objectives in detail or get in touch with the SYNAPSE team at the University of Rwanda.
SYNAPSE is powered by a network of leading institutions across the U.S. and Africa.
