Professor
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
I trained in allopathic medicine (MD) from the University of Ibadan College of Medicine, Nigeria (originally established as an arm of the University of London, England) with additional training in Tropical Medicine and Parasitology at the University of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (England). I earned a PhD in Medical Sciences from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Liverpool (England). More recently, I obtained an MPH from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (Louisiana, USA), focusing on Global Public Health and Tropical Medicine. I am broadly interested in the further understanding of the pathologic basis of human disease with the overall goal of contributing to the infrastructural enhancement, promoting laboratory instruction of medical students through inquiry-based hands-on experiences in cutting edge, clinically relevant basic research, and critical thinking. focusing on 1) the heterogeneity and immunophenotypic characterization of vascular endothelial and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) antigens expressed in the human brain and their possible role in the progression of demyelinating brain pathologies, especially multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a chronic demyelinating disease of the CNS and is a major cause of morbidity in Europe and North America. MS features include demyelination, oligodendrocyte loss, and neuronal damage. There is no cure for MS but, remyelination by oligodendrocytes, is, a crucial step in the reestablishment of the structural integrity of the neurons and for the recovery of normal neurological functions. My study aims to gain insight into possible activation and morphological alterations in the OPCs that contribute to brain myelin restoration during disease progression that potentially could lead to novel therapeutic approaches, and 2) impact of short term and chronic, gestational exposure to cadmium on brain development and on the BBB-associated structures in the rat model system. Cadmium is an environmental pollutant whose neurotoxic consequences are well documented.
