Biography

I grew up in Ogun State, Nigeria. My community’s rich heritage in the use of herbal medicines for disease treatment inspired me to study Pharmacy at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where I learned about novel approaches to natural product-based drug discovery. Subsequently, I received a merit-based scholarship for my Master’s degree program in Pharmacognosy. My research focused on the in vitro cytotoxicity of Nigerian medicinal plants used for cancer treatment. Having lost loved ones to cancer, and being challenged by the high rate of cancer mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa, my passion to tackle the scourge of cancer was further consolidated. At Cambridge, my doctoral research will deploy computer-aided-drug-design tools to discover novel plant-derived anticancer molecules. My goal is to develop affordable and effective targeted therapies for treating BRCA-mutant cancers, which would improve the survival and quality of life of patients. I am honored to be a part of the Gates Cambridge community, and I intend to leverage my experience as a Gates Scholar to help expand global access to life-saving medicines.

Previous Education

University of Ibadan Pharmacognosy 2021
University of Ibadan Pharmacy 2016