The Booth Collaborative Advisory Committee at Eastern Illinois University (EIU), Charleston, has honoured Ozioma Esther Onuselogu, a 2024 graduate from Alor, Anambra State, Nigeria, as one of the winners of the 2025 Award for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Works.

The committee stated that Onuselogu, who earned her master’s degree in Biological Sciences, took second place for her project titled “One Health Initiative on Tackling Chagas’ Disease.”

Her work, which investigated Trypanosoma cruzi infection in raccoons in Central Illinois, assessed the potential for human transmission of Chagas’ disease in non-endemic areas to promote a One Health approach to tackling the disease worldwide.

Onuselogu told The Guardian that the research underscored the interconnectedness of global health challenges. She added that neglect in any region could eventually have consequences elsewhere. “Diseases don’t recognise borders. They don’t need passports,” she said.

According to her, the stark contrast between the visible diseases she had known as malaria while growing up and the silent spread of Chagas inspired her mission.

Onuselogu said she plans to develop and implement a One Health early warning system that would integrate wildlife surveillance, prenatal and blood bank screening, and citizen science reporting, creating a scalable, adaptable model to prevent Chagas and other climate-sensitive diseases before they escalate into public health crises.

The Booth Library explained that the Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Works programme aims to recognise outstanding original research and creative projects completed by EIU students within the academic year. They said entries were judged on creativity, academic impact, and use of research resources and winning projects are archived in the university’s institutional repository, The Keep, for public access.

The university management stressed that Onuselogu’s recognition reflects the global impact that student-led research can have, turning scientific findings into dialogue and practical solutions.

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic illness caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, mainly transmitted by triatomine “kissing bugs,” but also through blood transfusions, organ transplants, or from mother to child during pregnancy. While prevalent in Latin America, it is increasingly being detected in other regions worldwide.