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Alash'le Abimiku, PhD

Academic Title:

Professor

Primary Appointment:

Medicine

Secondary Appointment(s):

Epidemiology & Public Health

Additional Title:

Executive Director, International Research Center of Excellence at the Institute of Human Virology-Nigeria

Location:

IHV, N446

Phone (Primary):

410-706-1941

Fax:

410-706-1944

Education and Training

  • Ahmadu Bello University, BS, Microbiology, 1978
  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, MS, Medical Microbiology/ Immunology, 1983
  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, PhD, Medical Microbiology, 2002

Biosketch

As a postdoc, I had played a pivotal role in establishing a long-term collaboration between Institutions in my home country, Nigeria, and investigators at the National Institutes of Health and at the Institute of Human Virology University of Maryland School of Medicine where I currently have an appointment as Professor. Being an effective lynch pin, as captured in an article in Science, has made it possible to create a portfolio of successful research grants in Nigeria that has effectively trained young Nigerian scientists. As a scientist, I was first to demonstrate the HIV strain prevalent in Nigeria as subtype G in 1993. I was also first in establishing the first reliable HIV research laboratory in central Nigeria. The research laboratory supports my past and current funded grants on the role of subtypes in disease pathogenesis using mother to child model and effects of co-infections with TB on HIV pathogenesis. As the Director for Research and laboratory science, I have established a laboratory network and infrastructure including a BSL-3 for TB diagnostics activity, a robust lab QA/QC component, a comprehensive laboratory training program with four associated training facilities, and a biorepository network under the Institute of Human Virology-Nigeria PEPFAR program. These facilities have supported national efforts on achieving the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets, early infant diagnosis, and post market validations for PEPFAR HIV rapid test kits. As the Principal investigator for the pre and in-service laboratory training program under PEPFAR, I have effectively leverage those trainings and that of our Fogarty program to build research capability in Laboratory science by updating the in-service curricula used in 20 Universities and 47 Colleges of Health Technology offering degree and certificate for medical laboratory science program in Nigeria; and training over 2000 in-service laboratory personnel to support HIV and TB diagnosis and monitoring for the nation. As Lead Laboratory Technical Advisor for the proposed grant, I will provide direction and mentorship in the implementation and sustainability of human capacity development and laboratory system strengthening as I have done over the past 15 years.

Research/Clinical Keywords

HIV Virus, HIV subtypes, HIV drug resistance, HIV prevention, Mother-to-infant transmission of HIV, Antiretroviral Therapy Program, TB, Multidrug-resistant TB, Laboratory System Strengthening, Laboratory Accreditation, Biobanking, Microbiome, Health Systems Strengthening, Outbreaks and Surveillance

Highlighted Publications

Dr. Abimiku has published over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles. A few of these are highlighted below:

  1. P. Lar, N. Lar, K Bemis, J Jelpe, L. Enzyguirre, L Ayuba, D Zella, P Kanki, J Carr, W. Blattner, A.G. Abimiku. HIV subtype and drug resistance patterns among drug naïve persons in Jos, Nigeria. Afri J of Biotech Vol. 6(16):1892-1897, 2007.
  2. Abimiku, A.G. Building Laboratory Infrastructure to Support Scale-Up of HIV/AIDS treatment, care and prevention. In country experience. Am J Clin Pathol 131:875-886, 2009.
  3. Chuka J Anude, Emeka Eze, Henry C Onyegbutulem, Man Charurat, Mary-Ann Etiebet, Samuel Ajayi, Patrick Dakum, Oluyemisi Akinwande, Chris Beyrer, Alash’le Abimiku, William Blattner. Immuno-virologic outcomes and immuno-virologic discordance among adults alive and on anti-retroviral therapy at 12 months in Nigeria. BMC Infectious Disease 2013: 13: 113-. PubMed ID: 23452915. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-13-113.
  4. Evaezi Okpokoro, Sophia Osawe, Pam Datong, Aminu Yakubu, Morenike Ukpong, Paul Orhii, John Idoko, Patrick Dakum, Gary Garber and Alash’le Abimiku. Preparing for HIV Vaccine Trials in Nigeria: Building the Capacity of the Community and National Coordinating, Regulatory and Ethical Bodies. J AIDS Clin Res 2013, 4: 12 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2155-6113.1000260.
  5. Alash’le G. Abimiku. Building Laboratory Infrastructure to Support Scale-Up of HIV/AIDS treatment, care and prevention. In country experience. Am J Clin Pathol. 2009.131:875-886
  6. Alash’le G. Abimiku, PhD, Talishiea Croxton, Ezekiel Akintunde, PhD, Bimpe Okelade, MMLS, Joseph Jugu, MMLS, Sam Peters, PhD, Patrick Dakum, MD, William Blattner, MD, and Niel Constantine, PhD. Experiences in Establishing a PEPFAR-Supported Laboratory Quality System in Nigeria. Am J Clin Pathol 134:541-549 2010 doi: 10.1309/AJCP5RP4QWEQLUZR (Epub).
  7. Abimiku, A.G., Stern, T.L., Zwandor, A., Markham, P.D., Calef, C., Kyari, S., Saxinger, W.C., Gallo, R.C., Robert-Guroff, M., and Reitz, M.S.: Subgroup G HIV type 1 isolates from Nigeria.  AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses 10: 1581-1583, 1994.
  8. Etiebet, Mary-Ann A.; Shepherd, James; Nowak, Rebecca G.; Charurat, Man; Chang, Harry; Ajayi, Samuel; Elegba, Olufunmilayo; Ndembi, Nicaise; Abimiku, Alashle; Carr, Jean K.; Eyzaguirre, Lindsay M.; Blattner, William A. Tenofovir based regimens associated with less drug resistance in HIV-1 infected Nigerians failing first-line antiretroviral therapy. AIDS Oct. 2012 doi: 10.1097/QAD.0b013e32835b0f59.
  9. Charurat M, Datong P, Matawal B, Ajene A, Blattner WA, Abimiku A.  Timing and determinants of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Nigeria.   Int J Gynecol Obstet 106: 8-13. 2009.
  10. Abimiku A, Pacha Villalba-Diebold, Jelpe Dadik, Felicia Okolo, Edwina Mang, Man Charurat.  Risk factors associated with low CD4+ lymphocyte count among HIV-positive pregnant women in Nigeria. Int J Gynecol Obstet 106: 227-231 2009 doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2009.03.057 (Epub).
  11. Nwofor Alfred, Lawson Lovette, Gambo Aliyu Obasanya Olusegun, Panwal Meshak, Tunkat Jilang, Iwakun Mosunmola, Emenyonu Nnamdi, Onuoha Olubunmi, Dakum Patrick, Abimiku Alash’le. Optimizing Mycobacterium tuberculosis detection in resource limited settings. BMJ Open 2014;4:e004093. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004093.
  12. Gambo Aliyu, Samer S. El-Kamary, Alash’le Abimiku, Clayton Brown, Kathleen Tracy, Laura Hungerford, William Blattner. Prevalence of non-tuberculous Mycobacterial infections among tuberculosis suspects in Nigeria. PLOS ONE May 2013; 8(5): e63170. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063170.
  13. Alash’le Abimiku, Elizabeth Sarah Mayne, Moses Jaloba, Christine M. Beiswanger, Jennifer Troyer, Louise Wideroff. H3Africa Biorepository Program: Supporting Genomics Research On African Populations By Sharing High Quality Biospecimens. Biopreservation

Additional Publication Citations

Research Interests

  • HIV Treatment, Multidrug-resistant TB, Virology, Genomics, Biospecimen Science, Surveillance

  • Human Capacity Building and System Strengthening

Awards and Affiliations

  • Certificate of recognition for contribution to laboratory excellence in Nigeria by Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN)
  • Member of the Order of the Nigeria (MON) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: National honor in recognition of contribution to public health and science in Nigeria
  • African Society for Laboratory Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award
  • The Living Legend Award For Innovations With Economic/Health Impact: Association of Good Clinical Practice in Nigeria
  • Chair:  Board of Directors, African Society For Laboratory Medicine (ASLM)

Grants and Contracts

1UH2HG007008                             PI: Abimiku                            08/15/2012 - 07/31/2019

NIH

IHVN H3Africa Biorepository Initiative (I-HAB)

Phase one is complete where the  IHVN Biorepository achieved International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) best practices and we are now moving to Phase II implementation. 

 

1U2GH000925                                Co-Investigator                    09/30/2012 - 09/29/2017

CDC

HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care & Treatment in the Federal Republic of Nigeria (PI: Dakum)

This is a continuation of the “HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care & Treatment in the Federal Republic of Nigeria (PEPFAR)” awarded to an indigenous partner in Nigeria.

 

EU 654404                                       PI: Abimiku                            06/30/2015 - 06/29/2018

European Union                             

Bridging Biobanking and Biomedical Research across Europe and Africa (B3Africa)

Goal is to harmonize and maximize efficiency of biobank practices, ethical and legal framework, and bioinformatics across Africa and Europe

 

 

U01HD094658                                PI: Abimiku                            09/11/2017 – 06/30/2022

NIH

Breast Milk Microbiota Influence on Infant Immunity Growth (BEAMING)

This study investigages how the breast milk affects the gut bacteria in infants exposed but un-infected by HIV affects their growth and their ability to respond to childhood vaccinations.

Professional Activity

1997 – 2011       Assistant Professor (Primary), Institute of Human Virology (IHV), Dept. of Medicine

2005 – present   Director, Office of Laboratory Clinical Diagnostics and Research, IHV, Nigeria

2011 – 2015       Associate Professor (Primary), IHV, Dept. of Medicine

2015 – present   Professor (Primary), IHV, Dept. of Medicine

2015 – present   Executive Director, International Research Center of Excellence (IHV, Nigeria)

Links of Interest

Institute of Human Virology: http://www.ihv.org/

Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria: http://www.ihvnigeria.org

Human Heredity & Health in Africa (H3Africa): http://h3africa.org

Bridging Biobanking and Biomedical Research Across Europe and Africa (B3Africa): www.b3africa.org/