Page 12 - Science in Africa

Professor Nicola Mulder Professor Adeyinka Falusi

Heading off

infectious

diseases

department of integrative Curing disease
Professor Nicola Mulder heads
the Computational Biology
Division (CBIO) in the
biomedical sciences at the
University of Cape Town, South
Africa.
Professor Mulder works in the is in her blood
area of bioinformatics of
infectious diseases, including
pathogen and host genomics
and biological networks, human
variation and disease association deyinka Gladys Falusi, FAS the University of Ibadan and University
studies. NPOM, is a Nigerian professor College Hospital Institutional Review
She received her PhD from the of haematology and former Committee, and served in that capacity for
University of Cape Town. Her director of the Institute for four years.
dissertation was titled Medical Advanced Medical Research and In 2005, she became the coordinator for
Microbiology: Identification and ATraining, College of Medicine at Nigeria Networking for Ethics of Biomedical
Characterisation of the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. Research in Africa.
Transcriptional Regulatory She is also a former chair of the University In 2001, she received the L’Oréal-Unesco
Proteins from Mycobacterium of Ibadan’s University College Hospital Ethical Award for Women in Science; in 2005, she was
Tuberculosis. Review Committee. bestowed with the National Productivity
Internationally, she is involved She specialises in human genetics, Order of Merit Fellowship and, in 2009,
in capacity development in bioethics and molecular genetics she was elected as fellow of the
Africa as leader of a large NIH- related to hereditary blood diseases Nigerian Academy of Science.
funded consortium, H3ABioNet, such as sickle-cell disease and In 2013, she received the Ekiti
to build a Pan-African alpha-thalassemia. State Merit Award and the
bioinformatics network for She obtained a BSc in Access to Basic Care
H3Africa, through her position Chemistry, an MPhil in Distinguished Personality
as president of the African Haematology and a PhD in Award for promoting the
Society for Bioinformatics and Haematology at the University of welfare of sickle-cell patients
Computational Biology. Ibadan. globally and beyond the call of
She is also a member of the Her research work has included a duty in 2014.
ELIXIR Scientific Advisory number of firsts in the genetics and Professor Falusi is the Founder of the
Board, which includes the major molecular diagnosis of sickle-cell disease and Sickle-cell Hope Alive Foundation established
bioinformatics stakeholders in its co-modifiers. in 2012 and inaugurated in 2014. The
Europe, and is a founding Her efforts in the field of ethics of research foundation is a nonprofit organisation focused
member of the Global remain commendable in Nigeria and in Africa. and actively engaged on public awareness,
Organisation for Bioinformatics She has published extensively on the education and preventive approaches,
Learning, Education and genetics of the haemoglobinopathies of sickle- empowerment and optimisation of
Training (GOBLET). cell disease and thalassaemias, as well as management of patients with sickle-cell
She is on the executive other noncommunicable diseases such as disease complications such as leg ulcers.
committee of the African breast cancer, asthma and malaria. With a lifelong understanding that the
Institute for Mathematical She has written more than 80 journal world of science can be demanding, especially
Sciences, as well as a number of articles and book chapters, and over 120 for women, Professor Adeyinka has become a
review and advisory boards. abstracts, conference articles and proceedings. motivator for young women scientists in their
In 2001, she was appointed chairperson of quest to pursue scientific careers.
12 SCIENCE IN AFRICA