Nadia A. Sam-Agudu, MD

2005-2008 - Fellowship, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

2002-2005 - Residency in Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

1998-2002 - Medical School, Mayo Medical School, Rochester, Minnesota.

1995-1998 - B.A. with distinction, Interdisciplinary/African Studies, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.

My interest and career path in infectious diseases are inextricably linked with my goal to improve the health status of children living in resource-limited settings. To date, international research and global health experiences in Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, and Peru have exposed me to different contexts in the prevention and treatment of pediatric infectious diseases. My earliest research experiences were in basic and translational research in the immunology of severe malaria, which have now transitioned into implementation research in HIV prevention and treatment.

I have served as IHV-Maryland’s Senior Technical Advisor for Pediatric and Adolescent HIV to the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria since 2010. In so doing, I have expanded both my research and public health expertise in HIV treatment and prevention. My overarching research goal is to conduct studies that generate impactful evidence for equitable and sustainable health system and policy changes. I have found Implementation Science methods to be well-suited to achieving this goal, especially in the resource-limited settings I am working in.

My implementation science and public health projects also provide excellent global-local educational opportunities for motivated students and trainees. These learners are exposed to the health system from the perspective of the populations of interest, and are also able to experience, first-hand, the implementation of research-in-context projects.

The underlying principle for all of my work is the establishment and maintenance of healthy lives for vulnerable children, in spite of the prevailing challenging conditions. My supportive working environments at the University of Maryland and abroad have enabled me to continue working on this principle.

Implementation science, global health, HIV, pediatrics, adolescent, infectious diseases, Africa.

1. Aliyu MH, Sam-Agudu NA, Shenoi S, Goga AE, Ramraj T, Vermund SH, Audet CM. Increasing male engagement in the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV: what works in sub-Saharan Africa? BMJ. 2019 Jun 6;365:l1965. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l1965.

2. Olakunde BO, Sam-Agudu NA, Patel TY, Hunt AT, Buffington AM, Phebus TD, Onwasigwe E, Ezeanolue EE. Uptake of permanent contraception among women in sub-Saharan Africa: a literature review of barriers and facilitators. Contraception. 2019 Apr;99(4):205-211. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2018.12.007. Epub 2019 Jan 24.
3.  Sam-Agudu NA, Ramadhani HO, Isah C, Anaba U, Erekaha S, Fan-Osuala C, Galadanci H, Charurat M. The Impact of Structured Mentor Mother Programs on 6-Month Postpartum Retention and Viral Suppression among HIV-Positive Women in Rural Nigeria: A Prospective Paired Cohort Study. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2017 Jun 1;75 Suppl 2:S173-S181. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000001346. PubMed PMID:  28498187. 
4. Sam-Agudu NA, Paintsil E, Aliyu MH, Kwara A, Ogunsola F, Afrane YA, Onoka C, Awandare GA, Amponsah G, Cornelius LJ, Mendy G, Sturke R, Ghansah A, Siberry GK,  Ezeanolue EE. Building Sustainable Local Capacity for Global Health Research in West Africa. Ann Glob Health. 2016 Nov - Dec;82(6):1010-1025. doi: 10.1016/j.aogh.2016.10.011. PubMed PMID: 28314488.
5. Sam-Agudu NA, Folayan MO, Ezeanolue EE. Seeking wider access to HIV testing for adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. Pediatr Res. 2016 Jun;79(6):838-45. doi: 10.1038/pr.2016.28. Epub 2016 Feb 16. Review. PubMed PMID: 26882367.
6. Sam-Agudu NA, Greene J, Opoka RO, Kazura JW, Boivin MJ, Zimmerman PA, Riedesel MA, Schimmenti LA, John CC.  TLR9 polymorphisms are associated with altered IFN-γ levels in children with cerebral malaria.  American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2010; 82(4): 548-555