Wikipedia

Alash'le Abimiku

Alash'le Grace Abimiku is a Nigerian executive director of the International Research Centre of Excellence at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria and a professor of virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine who takes interest in the prevention and treatment of HIV.[1]

Alash'le Abimiku
Born
Alash'le Grace Abimku

Nigeria
Alma materAhmadu Bello University
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (PhD)
Known forRetrovirology
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Maryland School of Medicine
Institute of Human Virology Nigeria
ThesisProtection against Campylobacter jejuni infection (1988)
Websitewww.medschool.umaryland.edu/profiles/Abimiku-Alashle/

Early life and education edit

Abimiku was born in Nigeria. She studied microbiology at Ahmadu Bello University. She moved to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine for her graduate studies, earning a master's degree in 1983 and a PhD in 1998.[2][3] Here she specialised in retrovirology and protection against infection caused by the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni.[4]

Research and career edit

After earning her doctorate, Abimiku worked as postdoctoral researcher with Robert Gallo at the National Cancer Institute, where she developed collaborations between scientists in her home country of Nigeria and researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

She was one the founders that helped in the establishment of the IHVN Campus project in 2004 with IHVN partnering with the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the United States.[5]

Gallo and Abimiku opened the International Center for Scientific Culture—World Laboratory AIDS Research Center in Jos.[3] Whilst Abimiku had planned to isolate a particular strain of HIV, she found she had to concentrate on basic screening and community education. Eventually, she studied the HIV strain that is prevalent in Nigeria; identifying that it was the non-B subtype related to the HIV subtype G.[6][7] Abimiku called for African strains to be included in AIDS Vaccine studies.[8] In 2004 she helped to establish a partnership with Nigeria using funding from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).[9] Abimiku studies the role of HIV in disease pathogenesis and the effects of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV co-infection. She has considered the molecular epidemiology and evolution of subtypes and resistance of HIV, the development of cohorts for HIV epidemiological studies and the epidemiology of selected viruses.[10]

People in Nigeria are most likely to suffer more from this TB and HIV in the world, which makes them more likely to suffer from multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), an airborne disease.[9] In 2010 Abimiku and the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria opened a Biosafety Level-3 laboratory, the first of its kind in Africa, to research the prevalence of MDR-TB. The laboratory, which is containerised with pre-filters to withstand the dry and dusty winds can also assess for extremely drug-resistant TB (XDRTB). It includes a negatively pressurised laboratory that allows for the handling of infectious agents.[9] This laboratory supported the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets and early diagnosis.[11]

In 2012 Abimiku developed an International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (IBSER) repository[12] that can process and store biological samples.[13][14] The repository was supported by the National Institutes of Health Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3 Africa) program, which was initiated by Charles Rotimi.[14]

She has been involved with the PEPFAR transition to a situation where local governments and indigenous organisations are responsible for caring for d individuals.[15] The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria is acting to support the move toward local ownership.[15] In 2018 she co-founded the International Research Centre of Excellence located in the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria.[16] The centre will focus on building the capacity of African scientists as well as supporting research that affects the country.[16]


Academic service edit

Abimiku is a member of the advisory group of the University of Cape Town and the World Health Organization Research and Development Blueprint.[17] She served as the chair of the board of the African Society of Laboratory Medicine, as well as a member of the board of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research.[18][19][20] She previously served on the World Health Organization HIV vaccine advisory committee and AIDS Vaccine program.[21] She serves on the Wellcome Trust Longitudinal Population Studies Committee.[22]

Selected publications edit

Her publications include;

  • Laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis in resource-poor countries: challenges and opportunities[23]
  • Patient Retention and Adherence to Antiretrovirals in a Large Antiretroviral Therapy Program in Nigeria: A Longitudinal Analysis for Risk Factors[24]
  • Update on HIV-1 diversity in Africa: a decade in review[25]

References edit

  1. ^ Online, The Eagle (10 August 2017). "How HIV positive mothers can breastfeed exclusively —Director |". The Eagle Online. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  2. ^ Abimiku, Alash'le Grace (1988). Protection against Campylobacter jejuni infection. london.ac.uk (PhD thesis). University of London. OCLC 940318607.
  3. ^ a b Science, American Association for the Advancement of (28 May 2004). "News this Week". Science. 304 (5675): 180. ISSN 0036-8075.
  4. ^ "Dr. Alash'le G Abimiku". H3Africa. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  5. ^ "US Varsity, IHVN Launch Research Institute on Healthcare - THISDAYLIVE". www.thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Prof. Alash'le Abimiku, Mon – IRCE". Archived from the original on 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Reagent Datasheet Detail: Catalog 3191 - HIV-1 Jv1083 Virus - NIH AIDS Reagent Program". aidsreagent.org. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  8. ^ "AIDS in Africa: AIDS vaccine 'may not work' in Africa". newscientist.com. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  9. ^ a b c Abimiku, Alash'le (2010). "IHV and Nigeria Partner with the U.S. to Combat Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis from West Baltimore to West Africa" (PDF). IHV. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  10. ^ bonbon. "Alash'le Abimiku". FAIS Legacy Project. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  11. ^ "Abimiku, Alash'le | University of Maryland School of Medicine". medschool.umaryland.edu. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  12. ^ Abimiku, Alash'le G.; Croxton, Talishea; Ozumba, Petronilla J.; Agala, Ndidi; Balogun, Olasinbo; Jonathan, Emmanuel; Onyemata, Enzenwa; Ndifon, Kachimi; Nadoma, Sunji; Anazodo, Thankgod; Peters, Sam (2019). "Blueprint for building a biorepository in a resource-limited setting that follows international best practices". African Journal of Laboratory Medicine. 8 (1): 12. doi:10.4102/ajlm.v8i1.722. ISSN 2225-2010. PMC 6739520. PMID 31534913.
  13. ^ Abimiku, Alash'Le. "IHVN H3 Africa Biorepository Initiative". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  14. ^ a b "Dr. Alash'le Abimiku receives grant to develop H3 Africa bio repository at IHVN". ihvnigeria.org. Archived from the original on 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  15. ^ a b "Spotlight on Prof. Alash'le Abimiku, Nigeria". ASLM. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  16. ^ a b Akor, Ojoma (24 July 2018). "Virology institute establishes research centre in Abuja". dailytrust.com.ng. Archived from the original on 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  17. ^ "WHO | Scientific Advisory Group members". who.int. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  18. ^ "WHO | Alash'le Abimiku". who.int. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  19. ^ "Professor Alash'le Abimiku elected Chair of the Board of Directors of ASLM". ASLM. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  20. ^ "NIMR inaugurates advisory board on research funding". thenationonlineng.net. The Nation Newspaper. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  21. ^ Admin, ASLM. "ASLM2018 Conference Chair: Prof Alash'le Abimiku". ASLM2018. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  22. ^ "Longitudinal Population Studies Committee | Wellcome". wellcome.ac.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  23. ^ Abimiku, Alash'le (2011). "Laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis in resource-poor countries: challenges and opportunities". Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 24 (2): 314–350. doi:10.1128/CMR.00059-10. PMC 3122496. PMID 21482728.
  24. ^ Abimiku, Alash'le (2010). "Patient Retention and Adherence to Antiretrovirals in a Large Antiretroviral Therapy Program in Nigeria: A Longitudinal Analysis for Risk Factors". PLOS ONE. 5 (5): e10584. Bibcode:2010PLoSO...510584C. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010584. PMC 2868044. PMID 20485670.
  25. ^ Abimiku, Alash'le (2012). "Update on HIV-1 diversity in Africa: a decade in review". AIDS Review. 14 (2): 83–100. PMID 22627605.
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