Second Meeting of the DS-I Africa Consortium
29 October -2 November 2022

Prof Onikepe Folarin (Participant)

I am Professor of Molecular Biology and Genomics and in the current Head, Department of Biological sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University. I am also the Deputy Director (Human pathogen research and Training) of African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemer's University. I received training in molecular Biology at the Malaria Research Laboratories, IAMRAT, University of Ibadan from 2000 - 2009 during my PhD and post- doctoral training. I have a track record of being involved in molecular biology and molecular epidemiology of antimalarial drug resistant parasites by monitoring polymorphisms on the molecular markers of resistance. I was involved in the development and establishment of PCR diagnosis of Lassa virus in Nigeria. I contributed to the establishment of the laboratory now designated as center of excellence for the diagnosis and management of Lassa fever in Edo state Nigeria In the past 15 years, I have been involved in the human genomics, Lassa fever genomics and other infectious diseases through NIAID and NIH funded project as well as the 1000 Genome project in which I am a research team leader in Nigeria. The genomics research all aim at developing new rapid and accurate diagnostics tools and therapeutics for the Lassa Virus as well as unraveling the basis of human genetic susceptibility to Lassa virus. My Knowledge in Molecular Biology was also employed in the diagnosis of Ebola virus in Nigeria during the last epidemic and this led to the early containment of the disease in the country. I have used acquired knowledge in the field of Molecular Biology and Genomics to train undergraduate and graduate students on Molecular Biology techniques and applications as well as Cell Biology. Overall, my research and teaching experience, as well as knowledge of Molecular Biology and Genomics of malaria, Lassa fever and other infectious diseases while working together with professor Christian Happi who has been my mentor since I was a graduate student at the University of Ibadan have equipped me for genomic research in malaria, Lassa fever and other infectious diseases.