Genetic Scan for Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Risks in Nigeria

Dr Kolapo Oyebola wins prestigious Emerging Global Leader Award (K43) from the USA National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Fogarty International Center (FIC).

The five-year K43 award will further Dr Oyebola’s independent career development and research plans.

The award will allow him investigate the prevalence and temporal dynamics of mutations associated with certain cancer types and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in Nigeria.

He will spend time in Nigeria and the USA working with Dr Swee Lay Thein (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, NIH), Dr Charles Rotimi (National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH) and Prof. Babatunde Salako (Nigerian Institute of Medical Research).

“This important research topic has been grossly understudied among individuals of African descent. I am excited to receive this highly competitive career development and research grant as it puts me in a strong position to build local capacity for human genetics research in Nigeria” says Dr Oyebola.