2 UNILORIN lecturers win international research grants

Two Senior lecturers of the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, Dr Gabriel Omotoso and Dr Aminu Imam have won three research grants.

The University of Ilorin Management disclosed that the notification was contained in separate letters signed by the Director of Professional Development Programmes, Dr Rebecca Hadid and Prof. Alessandro Prinetti of University of Milano, Italy.

According to the letter, Omotoso won the 2019 International Brain Research Organisation-African Regional (IBRO-ARC) and the International Society for Neurochemistry- Committee for Aid and Education in Neurochemistry (ISNCAEN) Research Grants.

“Imam won the International Society for Neurochemistry- Committee for Aid and Education in Neurochemistry (ISNCAEN),” it said.

It stated that the grants that came at the instance of their various research efforts are worth 5,000 euro, 4,700 dollars and 3,800 dollars respectively to be used for both travelling and local expenses during their laboratory exchanges.

It added that the duo won the grants after due consideration of various entries of 12 and 33 applicants in various categories.

In his reaction, Omotoso stated that the award is a competition award given to African neuroscientists for Laboratory Exchange in developed countries.

Omotoso, who is also the Head of the Department of Anatomy, said that he was one of the four Africans that received the award to allow him visit a Laboratory at the University of Huddersfield, Hudderfield, United Kingdom, to carry out Neuroscience Research.

He stated that the grant sum is 5,000 euro, adding that the visit is yet to be undertaken due to COVID-19 pandemic.

He explained that the study, which is still on-going, is to investigate: “the role Kolaviron and Moringa Oleifera in enhancing remyelination in models of Multiple Scleroses”.

Omotoso also explained the Grants Award for Dr Aminu Imam, saying that he received the International Society for the Neurochemistry-Committee for Aid and Education Neurochemistry (ISN-CAEN), research grant award in February.

He stated that this would enable him visit a foreign laboratory at the Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, UP Medicina, Universitat Jaune 1, Castelló de la Plana, Spain.

According to him, Imam will undertake a three-month research and that this benefitted the grant sum of 3,800 U.S. dollars.