Ify Aniebo
Ifeyinwa Aniebo | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ify Aniebo 13 September 1984 |
| Education | |
| Known for | The inclusion of genomic surveillance into Nigeria’s malaria elimination strategy |
Ifeyinwa (Ify) Aniebo is a British-Nigerian molecular geneticist, infectious disease and global health expert, who has worked on inclusion of genomic surveillance into Nigeria's national malaria elimination strategy.[1][2] She has contributed to malaria and infectious diseases research, and is also an advocate for science education and communication in Africa.
Background and education
Aniebo is the daughter of Brigadier-General Augustine Aniebo, who served as the Military Administrator of the Borno and Kogi States of Nigeria. She is married to Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, a Nigerian architect, entrepreneur and politician.[3][4]
Aniebo was inspired to pursue a career in molecular genetics after a personal experience with malaria as a child.[2] She has a Bachelor of Science in Genetics and Microbiology from Queen Mary University, London, an MSc in Applied Biomolecular Technology from the University of Nottingham, a Master of Research and Public Health (MPH) and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Oxford. She received a PhD in Clinical Medicine and Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), focusing on malaria drug resistance.[5][6]
Career and research
Her research focuses on understanding malaria drug resistance and integrating genomics data into malaria surveillance systems.[5][7] Her works includes nationwide research collecting over 10,000 blood samples from children across all 36 states in Nigeria.[2]
She has held positions at various institutions:
- HIV Research Associate at the Clinton Health Access Initiative[8]
- Takemi Fellow in International Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health[9]
- Senior Research Scientist at the Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation in Lagos, Nigeria[10]
- Associate Research Professor of Molecular Biology and Genomics at the Institute of Genomics and Global Health (IGH), formerly African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Disease – ACEGID.[6]
Science communication advocacy
Dr. Aniebo is an advocate for science education and communication. She founded AfroScientric, a social enterprise dedicated to inspiring and mentoring young African women to pursue careers in STEM fields.[11] Through AfroScientric, she has partnered with organizations like Nature and Springer Nature to deliver virtual training workshops on sharing and communicating scientific discoveries to early career researchers in Africa.[12]
Aniebo uses social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), to advocate and share insights on a variety of topics and African development-related issues:[13]
- The use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture and health [14][15][16]
- The need for increased investment in research and development in Africa,[17]
- The decolonization of global health[18] and
- Governance reforms in malaria control.[19]
Publications and awards
She has written on health research investment in Africa, global health governance, and infectious disease surveillance.[20][18][21]
She has received several awards and honors:
- New Voices Fellow, Aspen Institute (2016)[22]
- Winner Young Person of the Year (2010), The Future Awards, Nigeria[23]
- Winner Best Use of Science (2010), The Future Awards, Nigeria[23]
- Recipient of a Calestous Juma Fellowship award from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation[2]
References
- ^ "Strengthening Nigeria's surveillance system for malaria elimination by integrating molecular and genomic data". MESA Malaria Knowledge Hub. June 11, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Ify Aniebo". gcgh.grandchallenges.org. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "Aniebo: A True Nigerian Military Hero – Independent Newspaper Nigeria". independent.ng. 5 May 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-07-16. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
- ^ eribake, akintayo (2023-03-02). "Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour: The Man for a New Lagos". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
- ^ a b Aniebo, I. (2018-02-23). PfK13-Independent determinants of susceptibility of African Plasmodium falciparum to artemisinin and partner drugs in vitro (doctoral thesis). London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. doi:10.17037/pubs.04648781.
- ^ a b RedeemersADMuser. "ACEGID'S Intellectual Amazon, Dr. Ifeyinwa Aniebo Becomes Associate Research Professor". Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "Harnessing the Power of Science Against Malaria". www.grandchallenges.org. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "Ify Aniebo • Aspen Global Innovators". Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "Past Fellows | Takemi Program in International Health | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health". 2024-10-14. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ Aniebo, Ify. "Genomic Surveillance Is a Key Weapon in the Fight against Malaria". Scientific American. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "Leadership". AfroScientric. 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ "Supporting and enabling scientific potential in Africa | Advancing Discovery | Springer Nature". www.springernature.com. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ "In Conversation with Dr. Ify Aniebo: The GMO issue (Part 1". edusounds.com. Archived from the original on 2025-03-19. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ Julius Okeke | Political Reporter (2014-06-18). "Ify Aniebo: Why Nigerians Should Beware Of Genetically Modified Foods - The Trent". The Trent. Archived from the original on 2025-04-30. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ HOMEf. "Nigerian Academy of Science's Curious Stand on GMOs | Health of Mother Earth Foundation". Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ Aniebo, Ify. "Africa Doesn't Need Genetically Modified Mosquitoes". Scientific American. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ Erondu, Ngozi A.; Aniebo, Ifeyinwa; Kyobutungi, Catherine; Midega, Janet; Okiro, Emelda; Okumu, Fredros (May 2021). "Open letter to international funders of science and development in Africa". Nature Medicine. 27 (5): 742–744. doi:10.1038/s41591-021-01307-8. ISSN 1546-170X. PMC 7613536. PMID 33859410.
- ^ a b Bump, Jesse B.; Aniebo, Ifeyinwa (2022). "Colonialism, malaria, and the decolonization of global health". PLOS Global Public Health. 2 (9): e0000936. doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0000936. ISSN 2767-3375. PMC 10021769. PMID 36962810.
- ^ Ohiri, Kelechi; Aniebo, Ifeyinwa; Akinlade, Oluwafunmilayo (2022-09-27). "Rethinking malaria: Governance lessons from other disease programs". PLOS Global Public Health. 2 (9): e0000966. doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0000966. ISSN 2767-3375. PMC 10021884. PMID 36962609.
- ^ Aniebo, Ifeyinwa (February 2024). "Investment in African research and development will boost health and economic growth". Nature Medicine. 30 (2): 326. doi:10.1038/s41591-023-02746-1. ISSN 1546-170X. PMID 38238617.
- ^ Aniebo, Ify (2019-07-01). "Genomic Surveillance Could Make a Big Difference in the Fight against Malaria". Scientific American. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ "PhD candidate, Clinical Medicine and Infectious Tropic Diseases, Oxford University | Aspen Ideas". Aspen Ideas Festival. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
- ^ a b "TFAA 2010 Winners List". The Future Awards Africa. Retrieved 2025-06-30.