H3Africa Spotlights

Omowunmi Afolabi is a development consultant and researcher with over 10 years’ experience as a consultant and advisor to private organisations, governments and non-governmental organisations for the development and implementation of unique educational and health programs with a focus on the economically disadvantaged communities across Sub-Saharan Africa. Omowunmi has led several multi-disciplinary and cross-functional teams to implement large and comprehensive MDG projects that focuses on water supply, hygiene and sanitation across West Africa.

Omowunmi currently works with the University of Arizona as the National Coordinator for the H3Africa Kidney Disease Research Network, leading the University’s research efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa. She provides project management and clinical monitoring for the NIH funded multi-centre cohort and case control studies in 18 clinical sites across Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroun, Tanzanian and Uganda supervising about 90 health and academic researchers, including medical practitioners and academic professors.

She also leads a community based initiative TEACH (Transforming Education and Championing Health) which is an integrated school health, school feeding, and public pre-primary & primary education project that specifically addresses certain targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3&4.

TEACH has directly benefited over 2,500 public school pupils in more than 10 communities in Nigeria. Omowunmi has received several awards in recognition of her effort towards promoting education and health, including the merit award from the Yobe State Government for community development in 2009.

Omowunmi has successfully participated in over 60 different learning programs organized by the USAID that relates to health and education. She is also a regular facilitator at professional seminars, women and youth empowerment conferences across West Africa.

Ozumba Petronilla Jean is a Program Manager with the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN). Her career at the institute has spanned multiple roles; from master trainer, molecular lab manager to biorepository manager.
A medical laboratory scientist with over 15 years of experience and strong interest in genomics research, she coordinates and provides managerial oversight and supervision of IHVN 3 biorepositories, providing mentoring and capacity building of staff on biobanking techniques, molecular techniques and sample management and tracking.
Ozumba Petronilla Jean was among the pioneer laboratory professionals that conducted molecular assays for the Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) for children of HIV positive mothers, part of Nigerian HIV strategy to Prevent Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS amongst children.
Ozumba Petronilla Jean, joined the H3Africa community as the biorepository manager and coordinator for the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) H3 Africa biorepository (I-HAB) initiative (PI: Prof. Abimiku). In this capacity her role has expanded to include coordination and managerial oversight of IHVN and I-HAB biorepository activities to ensure that bio-specimen submitted for deposit and provided to H3A Investigators are ethically collected, well processed, adequately stored, and quality controlled for genomic and translational research. She has co-authored three publications. Outside her role at IHVN, Ozumba Petronilla Jean is an avid cook and loves to dance.

Rasheed Taiwo is the Study Coordinator of the NIH-funded Indigenous Linguistic and Cultural Concepts of Heritability and Comprehension of Genomics Research in Nigeria (INDIGENE Study) and the supplement grant to develop a training program for ethics committees in Africa on ethical review of genomics research projects (PI: Prof. Clement Adebamowo). [https://indigenestudy.bioethicscenter.net].

Rasheed is currently a Research Associate at the Center for Bioethics and Research (CBR), Ibadan, Nigeria. He is a social science, behavioral and biomedical researcher with extensive training in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and bioethics. He has research interests and practical experience in manpower training, educational measurement, programme evaluation, research design, bioethics and genomics research. He has expertise in research operational skills, professional development skills, data analysis, as well as in ethical legal and social implications of genomic research (ELSI). He is presently pursuing his doctorate degree.

He is highly skillful, with analytical, problem-solving, software, interpersonal, and effective communication skills. He is motivated, smart at work and a results-achiever who delivers on deadline. His resourcefulness, dynamic team-playing and strong passion for excellence have earned him several local and international awards. He is committed to continuous personal, career and professional development. His focus is on interdisciplinary knowledge generation, transmission and application (research activities) for a better human society.

Rasheed is part of H3Africa Study Coordinators, Ethics and Community Engagement, and Education and Coordinated Training Working Groups. You can reach him and interact further via e-mail, WhatsApp or call – olanrewajutaiwo@bioethicscenter.net; +234 803 4856636.

Ruth Nanjala is the inaugural AfOx Kennedy Trust Prize Studentship Scholar. Ruth is a bioinformatician with a research focus on computational analysis of  the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) region and its relationship to complex immune-mediated diseases such as Rheumatoid arthritis.

Ruth graduated with a distinction for the M.Sc. in Bioinformatics at Pwani University, Kenya and the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Her Master’ research focused on evaluating the accuracy of genotype imputation in the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) region in selected African populations. She holds a first-class B.Sc. degree in Microbiology from Pwani University, Kenya.

Ruth is interested in HLA genetics, focusing on applying bioinformatics to understand the mechanisms underlying human diseases, especially immune complex-mediated diseases. She hopes to work towards addressing the gap in disease diagnosis, prognosis and treatment and thus address health challenges in Africa and beyond.

Ruth is also passionate about capacity building and has been involved with different projects aimed at building Bioinformatics capacity in Africa. These include the Pan African Bioinformatics network (H3ABioNet) and the Bioinformatics mentorship and incubation program at the International Centre for insect physiology and ecology (ICIPE).

Ruth will read for a DPhil in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, based at The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology and Reuben College.

Student 2023

DPhil in Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Reuben College
AfOx Kennedy Trust Prize Studentship and Clarendon Scholarship

Kenya

Sophia is from Nigeria and currently a Program Manager at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) and the Study Coordinator for the H3A funded project BEAMING (PI:Prof Alash’le Abimiku). The BEAMING study is based on 300 mother infant pairs from cohort in Jos, Nigeria and Capetown, South Africa. The project involves exploring host and microbial genetic determinants in breastmilk, that may alter the immunity of African infants and further affect their responses to vaccinations and overall growth.
Under the leadership of Prof Abimiku, Sophia has coordinated a number of studies and projects for over 10 years at the research and ISO 5189 accredited facility PLASVIREC (Plateau State Human Virology Research Center)
Sophia’s obtained her BSc (Hons) in Microbiology from the University of Jos, a postgraduate training program in Medical Laboratory Science with specialization in Virology, a Masters in Public Health and a Masters in Business Administration. She has also attended several trainings over the years on different areas including research coordination and laboratory techniques like molecular biology, flow cytometry, serology, etc. Sophia has co-authored 15 peer reviewed manuscripts and presented a number of abstract at local and international conferences. Sophia is part of the Study Coordinators and the HIV/AIDS WG. Her hobbies include: reading, cooking, meeting new people and travelling.
If you would like to reach her and interact further, you can email her at sosawe@ihvnigeria.org .