Executive Members
Executive Member
Bashir Lawal, PhD (Taiwan)
Hillman Fellow for Innovative Cancer Research, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, USA.
Research interest: molecular and cell biology, bioinformatics, genetics, cancer and novel drug discovery.
Executive Member
Janet O. Olugbodi, PhD (Nigeria)
Bingham University, Karu, Nigeria.
Research interest: Male reproduction, Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology, Pharmacology, Phytomedicine, Gastroenterology.
Executive Member
Gaber El-Saber Batiha, PhD (Egypt)
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour – El Beheira- Egypt.
Research interest: Phytochemical Screening, Medicinal plants, In-vitro Antimicrobial Activity, Pharmacotherapy, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, Nanomedicine, Antibiotic-resistance.
Executive Member
Afeez Adekunle Ishola, PhD (Taiwan)
National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Research interest: Male Oncology, Lung Cancer, Circular RNA, RNA therapeutics, Small cell lung cancer (SCLC), Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Genome-wide CRISPR Knockout and Activation screening, Receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), Noctch1 signaling in cancer and EGFR signaling in cancer.
- afeez.ishola@nih.gov
Executive Member
Daisy Umutoni, MD, PhD (Japan)
Department of Hematology Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Research interest: Cancer biology, translational cancer research, Lung cancer, novel drug discovery.
- umutonid@upmc.edu
Executive Member
Saidu Sani, PhD (France)
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
Research interest: Glioblastoma; Temozolomide Resistance; Integrins; P53 Reactivation; Apoptosis; Diabetes; Phytochemical Screening; Medicinal Plants; Bioactive compounds; Oxidative Stress And Inflammation.
- saidu.sani@funai.edu.ng
Executive Member
Tola Adesola Julius, PhD (Canada)
Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada.
Research interest: Arabidopsis thaliana, Enzyme activities and kinetics, Nutrition deficiency, Oxidative stress, Plant proteomics, Plant abiotic stress, Protein carbonylation, Post-translational modifications (PTMs), Protein extraction and prefractionation, Plant stress biology, Protein chemistry and Reactive oxygen species (ROS).
- adesola.tola@uqtr.ca
Executive Member
Adewale Oluwaseun Fadaka, PhD (South Africa)
Department of Anesthesia, Division of Pain Management, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Research interest: Molecular neurobiology, Cancer, Computational Biochemistry, Electrophysiology, Phytochemical Screening, Pharmacotherapy, Nanomedicine.
- Adewale.fadaka@cchmc.org
Executive Member
Musa Iyiola Ajibola, PhD (Taiwan)
Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA.
Research interest: Neural Circuits, Synaptic Physiology, Electrophysiology, Emotional behaviors, Depression, Anxiety, Natural products, Metabolism, Immuno-histochemistry.
- majibola@som.umaryland.edu
Research Intern
Deborah Popoola
College of Medicine, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Kaduna State University, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Research interest: Maternal and Child Health Outcomes, Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Advocacy, Health Promotion and Education Strategies, Health Disparities and Vulnerable Populations, Community-Based Health Interventions and Evaluation.
- paddebby@gmail.com
Dr. Bashir Lawal
Dr. Bashir Lawal is a molecular cancer biologist. He holds a rich academic background, having earned both his B. Tech and M. Tech degrees in Biochemistry from the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria, and PhD degree in Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery from the Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
His research objectives revolve around the utilization of a multidisciplinary approach, integrating disciplines such as bioinformatics, genetics, molecular and cell biology, and translational studies to identifying the genetic determinants behind tumor evasion, progression, recurrence, and therapy resistance. His commitment to advancing scientific knowledge is evident through his numerous publications in esteemed journals.
Dr. Gaber El-Saber Batiha
Dr. Gaber El-Saber Batiha is a lecturer at Pharmacology department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University. His Ph.D. degree was in Pharmacology and Chemotherapeutics from Damanhour University. He was PhD Visiting Scholar at National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
His main research field is pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic modelling of drugs. In addition, He conducted several research studies on natural products Phytochemical Screening, Medicinal plants biological activities as an alternative therapy for many diseases, In-vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils, Pharmacotherapy, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, Nanomedicine Antibiotic-resistance He is author in many publications in highly ranked journals.
Dr. Afeez Adekunle Ishola
Dr. Ishola is currently a visiting research fellow (postdoctoral) at National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, USA. His research interest at NCI is centered around studying the implication of Notch1 signaling deactivation on immunosuppression evasion by SCLC during immunotherapy. He was previously a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where he studied circular RNAs contributing to the development of a rare pediatric cancer called Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT).
He graduated from Academia Sinica, Taiwan for his PhD. His PhD was undergone through the prestigious Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP) scholarship in Taiwan. His research discoveries have been published in prestigious peer reviewed scientific journals.
Dr. Musa Iyiola Ajibola
Dr. Musa Ajibola is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, USA. His Ph.D. was in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience from National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan. Additionally, he holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Anatomy from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria.
He is interested in understanding the mechanisms of antidepressant drugs and developing better treatments for major depressive depression. He was a Lecturer at the Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of basic medical science, School of health sciences, Kampala International University, Ishaka-Bushenyi, Uganda.
Additionally, he has conducted several studies on medicinal plants’ phytochemistry, biological activities, and mechanisms of action in order to discover alternative treatments for psychiatric and metabolic diseases. Many of his papers have been published in prestigious journals.
Dr. Saidu SANI
Saidu Sani currently serves as a lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry within the Faculty of Biological Sciences at Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike. His academic journey commenced with the completion of a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biochemistry. Fueled by a profound fascination with unraveling the molecular complexities of life, he pursued his Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Strasbourg, France.
Following the completion of his doctoral studies, he made the conscious decision to merge his research fervor with a keen desire to impart knowledge. He continued in his capacity as a lecturer at AEFUNAI, where he derived immense satisfaction from nurturing and educating the upcoming generation of scientists.
His research fields are α5β1 integrin as a therapeutic target in glioblastoma, molecular characterization, exploration of the role of associated protein in the expression and functions of the target; characterization of antagonist effects and search for new integrin specific ligands; in vitro and in vivo studies of the target and potential new therapies. In addition, He has conducted several research studies on the anti-diabetic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of medicinal plants. He is authored in many publications in highly ranked journals.
Dr Daisy Umutoni
Dr Daisy Umutoni is a medical doctor and Scientist. She is in the process of applying to become a member of the Rwanda Academy of Science (RAS). Dr Umutoni spent five years gaining experience in molecular biology through her PhD research at the University of Tokyo, Japan. She gained wetlab experimental techniques that she used to study particularly the role of different proteins in the retina. Her PhD work led to a publication on the role of the UTX epigenetic factor in retinal development. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/gtc.12767).
Dr Umutoni has recently become interested in Cancer biology and translational research and for the past one year has worked as Postdoctoral associate in a cancer basic and translational research lab. The lab specializes in drug discovery for lung cancer using patient derived tumor samples as well as cancer cell lines. She has acquired expertise in cell culture techniques, westernblots, RNA extraction, PCR, qPCR, Flow cytometry, among others. She aims to gain more insights and contributed new knowledge that ca aid improves Lung cancer patient treatments.
Deborah Popoola
Deborah Popoola is a young researcher who is passionate about global health. She is currently learning and improving on her research, presentation, analytical skills through series of internships and volunteer engagements in public health and related fields. Her profound commitment to volunteering and impactful initiatives serves as a driving force behind her involvement in research and community intervention projects that tackle pressing issues in sexual and reproductive health, as well as maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH).
As a burgeoning researcher, she is eager to collaborate on research endeavors, seek guidance from mentors in her field, and forge connections with like-minded individuals who share her passion and interest.
Dr. Musa Iyiola Ajibola
Dr. Musa Ajibola is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, USA. His Ph.D. was in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience from National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan. Additionally, he holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Anatomy from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria.
He is interested in understanding the mechanisms of antidepressant drugs and developing better treatments for major depressive depression. He was a Lecturer at the Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of basic medical science, School of health sciences, Kampala International University, Ishaka-Bushenyi, Uganda.
Additionally, he has conducted several studies on medicinal plants’ phytochemistry, biological activities, and mechanisms of action in order to discover alternative treatments for psychiatric and metabolic diseases. Many of his papers have been published in prestigious journals.