Prof. Christian Happi and Dr. (Mrs.) Onikepe Folarin from the African Center of Excellence AGEGID ( Click here) of the Redeemer’s University in Nigeria, will be visiting the CETIC from the 20^th to the 24^th of September 2016.

The aim of this visit is to strengthen the partnership between AGEGID and CETIC. During their stay, discussion will be held with the CETIC’s staff on the establishment of a mobility program (students and faculties) and the setting up of a joint master program in bioinformatics between the two African Centers of Excellence.

Professor Happi will also give a talk on “Genomic Surveillance Facilitates Ebola Virus Containment and Elucidates Origins, Transmission and Evolution during the 2014 Outbreak” (Click here for abstract).

BIOGRAPHY OF PROF. CHRISTIAN HAPPI

Christian Happi, is a Professor of Molecular Biologist and Genomics in the Department of Biological Sciences, Redeemer’s University. His research focus is on infectious diseases, especially, Lassa fever, Ebola, malaria, HIV and Human genomics.

He is the Pioneer and current Dean of the College of Postgraduate Studies, Redeemer’s University and the Director of the World Bank funded African Center of Excellence for Genomics of infectious Disease (ACEGID) in Redeemer’s University.

Professor Christian Happi, holds a B.Sc (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of Yaounde, Cameroon (1993), and PhD from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria (2000). After his PhD, he went to Harvard University where he worked as a Postdoctoral fellow (2000-2003). He subsequently worked at Harvard University as a Research Scientist for 4 years (2004-2007). He became an adjunct Professor at Harvard University School of Public Health between 2007-2011.

Professor Happi is currently a visiting professor in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (IID), Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), and the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University Cambridge. He has also served as visiting Professor in major leading institutions in Europe. He served as a WHO consultant molecular biologist between 2000 and 2009.

Professor Happi has received several International Awards to honor his outstanding and extensive contributions to Science and capacity building in applying genomics/biotechnology knowledge in solving major infectious diseases challenges in West Africa, especially, Malaria and Lassa fever and Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). He confirmed the first case of Ebola in Nigeria in 2014 and worked with the Nigerian Government and other stakeholders for rapid and accurate diagnosis of Ebola and the containment of the Ebola Epidemic in Nigeria. Professor Christian Happi and colleagues used advanced genomics and deep sequencing technology to rapidly develop new rapid diagnostics test (15minutes) against Ebola Viral disease. The WHO and the US FDA approved this diagnosis.

In 2007, he developed and performed the first onsite diagnosis of Lassa fever in Nigeria, at the Irrua Specialist teaching Hospital (ISTH), Edo State, Nigeria. He has since worked and developed a rapid diagnosis test for Lassa fever (10 minute test) that his research team is currently validating in ISTH. His seminal research work on EVD and Lassa fever has furthered our understanding of how EVD spread during the current outbreak in West Africa. His cutting-edge genomics research work has also enabled to discover and traced the ancient origin of the Lassa fever virus to present day Nigeria (1060 years ago), and it spread from Nigeria (400 years ago) to the rest of West Africa. In addition to these major breakthroughs, Professor Happi discovered in the year 2015 two new viruses (EKV-1 and EKV-2) in Ekpoma Edo State, using a new cutting-edge technology call microbial metagenomics.

Between 2011 and 2015, he was invited to join the 1,000 Genome Consortium. He was very active in the consortium and significantly contributed to the sequencing of the genome two African populations (the Esan of Nigeria and the Mende of Sierra Leone) and related genetic variations in these populations to disease susceptibility. In October 2015, along with the 1,000 Genome Consortium they published the Global Reference for Human Genetic variations in the prestigious Journal Nature.

Professor Happi has also used genomics technologies to enable our understanding of how the malaria parasite becomes resistant to our best drugs, including artemisinin. He is author to more than 160 scientific publications, All in high impact international peer-reviewed journals, including: Nature, Science, New England Journal of Medicine, Cell, Genome Biology, Nature Genetics, nature Communications, PLOS Genetics etc…

He is currently a recipient of a NIH H3Africa research grant and as well as a grant from the World Bank with which he has established the African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) at Redeemer’s University. The aim of ACEGID is to train the next generation of scientists on how to use genomics knowledge and tools for elimination infectious disease in Africa.

Professor Christian Happi, embodies the passion, intellectual drive, and innovative spirit that African scientific leaders need for discoveries that will help the continent stem its scientific and academic challenges. His scientific contributions have gained him the admiration and respect of researchers worldwide in global health. He embodies the real and tangible impact that African healthcare leaders are having, in defining solutions to quell the impact of Infectious diseases on millions of African children every day.

( Click here for Christian Happi’s list of publications)

BIOGRAPHY OF DR ONIKEPE ABIOLA FOLARIN

Dr. (Mrs.) Onikepe Folarin was born over 40 years ago to the Olunloyo family of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. She obtained her first and second degree in Biochemistry from University of Ibadan, in 1997 and 1999 respectively. Dr Folarin obtained her doctoral degree in molecular Biology in 2006 also from the same University.

Dr. Onikepe Folarin research career in infectious diseases started in the year 2000 when she was introduced to Prof Christian Happi, the Director of African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) at the Malaria Research Laboratories, Institute of advanced Medical Research and Training, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan in the early days of her PhD programme. It was from then on that her interest in application of molecular biology to infectious disease was developed.

Dr. Onikepe Folarin’s research activities contributed in the molecular epidemiological data that informed change in the antimalarial treatment policy from chloroquine or sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine to the artemisinin based combination therapies (ACTs) in Nigeria in 2005. Working closely with Prof. Happi who is her mentor, Dr. Onikepe Folarin applied her molecular biology knowledge in carrying out the first diagnosis of Lassa virus at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State in 2008. This led to designation of the hospital as center of excellence for diagnosis and management of Lassa fever.

Dr. Onikepe Folarin research focus is on various infectious diseases including malaria, Lassa fever, Ebola virus Disease. Her research activities include understanding the molecular mechanisms of antimalarial drug resistance, development of rapid and accurate diagnostic tools for common infectious diseases, genetic determinants of human susceptibility to Lassa fever, Host and pathogen genomics on Lassa fever and other viral heamorhagic diseases, whole genome sequence of the Ebola virus.

Her research activities have led to rapid containment of Ebola virus disease during the 2014 outbreak.  Her research also led to identification of novel Lassa fever epitopes used to generate monoclonal antibodies for the development of immunotherapy of Lassa fever.  In addition, Dr, Folarin’s research has led to the development of global reference of human genetic variation, as well as the development of a rapid diagnostic kit for the diagnosis of Ebola virus and Lassa virus approved by the WHO and the United States food and drug administration (USFDA).

Dr. Folarin is a member of professional bodies such as the viral heamorhagic consortium, 1000 genome project consortium, H3Africa Consortium, The New York Academic of Science, and Worldwide antimalarial drug resistance network and Joint west Africa Research Group (JWARG)

She is recipient of several national and international awards including: The Nigerian Federal Government postgraduate Scholarship for her doctoral degree programme; United Nation center for trade and Development (UNCTAD) fellowship, the WHO/TDR South-south initiative fellowship, the Boroughs welcome and Bill and Melinda Gates fellowship, the Nigeria University Research and Development fair (NURESDEF) individual development award in discipline of life sciences and medicine category.  She has also attended local and international workshops, seminars and conference where she presented her research outputs

Dr. Onikepe Folarin has 35 internationally peer reviewed articles in high impact journals like, Nature, Science, Cell, Genome Biology, Cell, New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Communications, and many others.

Dr. Folarin is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Departmental postgraduate coordinator and has supervised/supervising 14 and 6 undergraduate and postgraduate students respectively. She is also the deputy director, African center of excellence for genomics of infectious diseases (ACEGID) domiciled in the Redeemer’s University.

As one of the leading female molecular biology scientist, Dr. Folarin not only wants to be a scientist of international repute but work towards building capacity in the field of molecular biology and genomics in young scientists in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.