Growing up in Nigeria, I was always fascinated by the invisible engines that power life; cells, molecules, genes. I didn’t have the vocabulary for it then, but I knew I wanted to understand how the human body worked, and more importantly, how to fix it when something went wrong. That quiet curiosity eventually took me across continents and into labs, research libraries, and complex experiments. All of it was driven by one goal: to contribute to science that makes life better.

Today, I’m a molecular biologist and cardiovascular researcher. I earned my Ph.D. from Clemson University in South Carolina, in the Department of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences, where I worked under a mentor focused on cardiovascular biology. My dissertation centered on the role of proteins called ABC transporters and a microRNA called miR-33a in vascular smooth muscle cells. This research matters because it helps us better understand atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Before Clemson, my journey began in Nigeria, where I studied Microbiology as an undergraduate in Obafemi Awolowo University. Like many young Nigerian scientists, I had to navigate limited research funding, infrastructure challenges, and scarce mentorship opportunities. But those early struggles taught me how to think creatively and adapt. They helped shape a mindset that still serves me well in the lab.

During my doctoral work, I investigated how ABC transporters like ABCA1 and ABCG1 regulate cholesterol efflux from vascular smooth muscle cells. These transporters play a key role in keeping cholesterol levels balanced in blood vessels. When they aren’t working properly, as often happens in atherosclerosis, cholesterol builds up, triggering inflammation, calcification, and plaque development.

I also studied miR-33a, a small RNA molecule that regulates those transporters. My research showed that by altering miR-33a expression in smooth muscle cells, we could significantly impact how well those cells export cholesterol. That finding has real potential for new therapeutic strategies to treat or even prevent cardiovascular disease.

These results have been published in peer-reviewed journals, contributing to the larger effort to understand the molecular drivers of chronic diseases. One study I’m particularly proud of is titled “Inhibition of miR-33a-5p in Macrophage-like Cells In Vitro Promotes apoAI-Mediated Cholesterol Efflux.” We found that knocking down miR-33a in macrophage-like cells derived from vascular smooth muscle cells significantly increased cholesterol efflux. That could mean less plaque development and a new way to approach heart disease treatment at the cellular level.

Alongside my bench work, I’ve built expertise in bioinformatics, next-generation sequencing, and translational research. I’ve also mentored students and early-career researchers, because I truly believe that science works best when it’s collaborative.

Currently, I work at the University of Georgia in the Department of Pathology, where I’m involved in molecular diagnostics and virus characterization. I collaborate with scientists and clinicians to bring research findings closer to patient care. It’s exciting work, not the kind that keeps you up at night from stress, but from the sheer sense of possibility.

Nigeria today is dealing with a rising burden of non-communicable diseases, including hypertension and heart disease. That makes the kind of work I do even more urgent. I believe it’s time for both local and diaspora scientists to invest in research grounded in our unique genetic and environmental context. The answers to many of our public health problems won’t come from imported solutions alone. We need homegrown research too.

At its core, science is about people. It’s about improving lives, whether through better diagnostics, more effective treatments, or sound health policies. Every experiment I run and every dataset I analyze is a small step toward better health outcomes, not just for Nigeria or Africa, but for the world.

Looking back, I’m proud of how far I’ve come, from the classrooms of Obafemi Awolowo University to the labs at Clemson and now the University of Georgia. But I’m even more excited about what’s ahead. I want to be part of a new wave of African scientists not just succeeding abroad but also leading from home.

We have the talents, we have the drive now we need to build the systems that allow science to flourish and serve.