Overview
Primate populations have developed mechanisms that makes them resistance to diseases. However, less understood are the adaptations in primate hosts in Nigeria, many of which have a longer history of co-evolution with pathogens (malaria parasites).
My primary research area and expertise is in wildlife and biodiversity conservation, ecology, genetics, population, and evolutionary genomics. I aim to employ these tools to uncover the mechanisms responsible for human and primate adaptation and resistance to zoonotic diseases, which pose a global threat. My previous research has provided insights into primate adaptation mechanisms and has shown that by comparing malaria resistance adaptations across host species, we can gain fundamental insights into host-parasite co-evolution.
My other interest is focused on utilizing genomic tools to determine the molecular basis of host responses to emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases. I intend to delineate the various host genetic pathways that influence the outcome of zoonotic transmission and adaptation. The goal is to translate integrated data into innovative intervention strategies for effectively controlling newly emerging infectious diseases and identifying genetic adaptations in host organisms, particularly primates. These adaptations can be used to design models that may help protect the human population from unexpected emerging or re-emerging diseases.
Using a One Health approach, my aim is to contribute to making the world a more habitable place.