Study Overseas

I commenced my UK studies at the age of 16, in 2001. I attended Bellerbys College in Brighton and spent a year and a half studying for my A Levels. Following this, I studied Genetics at Queen Mary, University of London, graduating with an upper second-class honours degree. I went on to do a Masters degree in Applied Bio-molecular Technology at the University of Nottingham. The course had a 3-month industrial placement attached to it, which was a great opportunity for me; I was able to carry out my placement at Medimmune, one of the leading biotechnology companies in England. I completed the course successfully and graduated with a distinction, after which I went to work for genetic engineering company Illumina, based in Cambridge.

After a year and a half at Illumina, I was offered a position as a Research Assistant at the Wellcome Trust Sanger institute in Cambridge. While working at Sanger, I applied to do a PhD at the University of Oxford, and was accepted to study for a Dphil/PhD on a fully-funded scholarship in October 2008. Due to the nature of my research I was sent to Thailand to work at the W.H.O/Wellcome Trust Centre for tropical diseases.
My scholarship covers my tuition and college fees, travel allowance, accommodation and stipend. My PhD project involves finding the molecular basis for resistance to a certain type of drug used in malaria treatments. I chose to work with malaria because it is the number one cause of mortality in Africa and other developing countries. Being Nigerian, I fully understand the impact malaria has had on my country and the rest of Africa for so many decades now. I am currently in Thailand doing laboratory and field work on malaria, working on samples from Rwanda, Laos and Thailand. This is a great opportunity as Wellcome Trust and Oxford University collaborate with the W.H.O. and the hospital for tropical diseases at Mahidol University in Thailand. My malaria studies take me to countries like Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh and Malaysia. Over here in Thailand I liaise with experts in this field from all over the world, and I’m learning so much every day: I believe this is the start of a great and exciting career ahead.

I have registered a charitable organisation in Nigeria called the Mutant Geek Malaria Foundation. We distribute mosquito nets and anti-malarials to less privileged people in the rural parts of Nigeria. Mostly, we offer aid to toddlers and children who are in the age groups most susceptible to malaria. I also go back to my country once a year to give public talks to communities and villages on how to protect themselves and their families from malaria parasites. This creates awareness of malaria and serves as a source of education to local people.
I am currently working on starting a healthcare magazine in Nigeria. I have gathered a team together and at the moment the website is being developed. This idea first sparked when I realised that the healthcare industry in Nigeria is still developing. For instance, diagnosis is quite poor in the country and there is no proper healthcare system in place to cater for every individual. Also, there is shortage of healthcare professionals in the country because most of them have emigrated in search of better opportunities. With a poor healthcare system and not enough qualified healthcare professionals, poorer Nigerians can suffer as a consequence.
Awareness and education is essential because in many cases, the diseases or illnesses can be prevented or cured without even going to hospital. Tragically, many people lose their lives because they lack simple knowledge about conditions like heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, which are major causes of mortality in Nigeria. Raising awareness about prevention and control could help any average family in the country.

The magazine is going to cover major areas like healthy living, nutrition, fitness, health information, weight loss, with the main focus being to promote a healthy lifestyle for every individual. The magazine is going to serve as a source of African health awareness specific for Nigerians, and other Africans living in and out of the country. Young people in Nigeria are very bright, but these days I notice they have little or no interest in science and healthcare. Maybe it’s because in modern day Nigeria, there aren’t a lot of role models to look up to in the science or healthcare worlds. My dream is to give them the option of picking up a science magazine over fashion magazines like Vogue or Elle. I want to let them know that being a scientist or a healthcare professional is as good as being a celebrity, footballer or a model. The goal of this magazine is to contribute to the development of an industry that has so much potential.

I recently got nominated in Nigeria for a national award called the Future Awards which is Nigeria’s biggest youth event. It celebrates and recognises young people between the ages of 18 and 31. It was rigorously judged through a 4-stage 4-month process that involved a board of judges and an independent audit committee. I was nominated in two categories, the Best Use of Science and the Young Person of the Year award (the biggest category). The award ceremony took place in February and I won both categories and ended up being the biggest winner of the night. I was very happy and felt very honoured to have been acknowledged.
After completing my PhD I plan on working in public health with the W.H.O., as they are truly a force to be reckoned with. I also plan on going back to Nigeria to help implement proper health policies and help contribute not only to the growth of the healthcare industry, but also to the health and welfare of the nation.