Chinyere K Okoro

• Lecturer in the Department of Biosciences & Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, United Kingdom 2018-present
• Academic Fellow in the Department of Biosciences & Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, United Kingdom 2017-2018
• Research Associate in the Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom 2015-2017
• College Research Associate in St John’s College, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom 2015-2017
• Postdoctoral Fellow in Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom 2012-2014

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• PhD, Molecular Biology, Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom 2012
• MSc, Industrial and Commercial Biotechnology, Newcastle University, United Kingdom 2007
• BSc, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria

Dr. Chinyere Okoro’s research focuses on understanding the genetic and phenotypic events that shape the emergence and transmission of bacteria that cause infectious diseases. She uses genome-based analyses and various phenotyping assays to study variation, such as antimicrobial resistance, within and between enteric bacterial pathogen populations. She combines these with corresponding epidemiological and clinical information to look for insights on how and why diseases spread over time and space. She works on enteric bacteria derived from national and multinational clinical and community-based studies in Africa and elsewhere. She is also interested in exploring ways of using data from research to inform disease management and health policy.

• Contribution, with colleagues, to the premise that on-going (micro)evolution is observed in pathotypes of bacteria occupying new niches characterised by host-specific factors such as immunosuppression.
• Successful set-up of study site and running of a one-health based antimicrobial resistance surveillance project in Western Nigeria.
• Participation as a resource person in initiatives aimed at improving access to higher education, research capacity strengthening and science outreach/advocacy in Nigeria and the UK.

• Wellcome Trust 4-year PhD Scholarship, United Kingdom 2008-2012
• GlaxoSmithKline International Prize for Best Graduating Student, Industrial and Commercial Biotechnology, Newcastle University, United Kingdom 2007
• Overseas Scholarship Award, Nigerian Petroleum Technology Development Fund 2006-2007
• Best Graduating Student, Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria 2001

Iruka N Okeke