2018 NAS GOLD MEDAL PRIZE for Life Sciences

Professor Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo’s research accomplishment has been in the area of molecular genetics of the environmental aetiology of cleft lip and palate (CLP) and craniofacial defects. The research has promoted collaborative activities between University of Lagos, University of lowa, University of Pittsburgh, University of Dundee, and other African Universities. Professor Adeyemo and his research group have taken several giant steps toward understanding the genetic causes of non-

syndromic clefts in Nigeria and African populations. The group has been able to genotype 4000 samples from Sub-Saharan Africa using a global power chip with 2.2 SNPs for the first genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in Sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria, Ghana and Ethiopia) for orofacial cleft. This is the first GWAS on orofacial cleft in Africa. The GWAS for CL/P showed that the most significant hits are on chromosomes 8 and 3. The GWAS for isolated CP revealed one genome-wide significant locus on chromosome 2. Professor Adeyemo has in addition described a new surgical technique “Modified Millard’s (Ford Flap) techniques” for the repair of bilateral cleft lip. The understanding of the genetics/genomics of orofacial clefts is critical for informing at risk families and providing specific counseling advice. It has also formed the basis upon which Dental Scientists can explore the design of early diagnostic panels. With additional unbiased identification and understanding of the influence of environmental factors such as a folic acid, is the potential to modify risk in families while pursuing the ultimate humanitarian goal of preventing orofacial clefts.

Dr. Emmanuel Oluwadare Balogun expertise cuts across the Life Sciences and focuses on Molecular Parasitology, Structural Biology, and Genomics; applying them for Drug Discovery studies against African-endemic Tropical diseases. His research group found that the midgut of mosquitoes contains a 45 kDa glycoprotein that is capable of killing trypanosomes. Based on these findings, efforts are ongoing in Germany towards producing transgenic tsetse flies containing the mosquito glycoprotein as a means of biological control of trypanosomiasis.  He has found the mechanism by which lactose infusion during trypanosomiasis helps to suppress the onset of the anemia. These findings validated the incorporation of lactose to chemotherapy of African trypanosomiasis.

Professor Temidayo Ogundiran research work has been focused on breast cancer as a genetically heterogeneous disease with polygenic pattern of inheritance. The known high-penetrance genes confer a moderate disease risk and account for a small proportion of risk, the majority are uncharacterized. Prof Ogundiran and others have sought to identify some of these low-risk alleles of genetic variants by genome wide association studies (GWAS). Further work was built on the already revealed chromosomal loci that confer risk among women of European and Asian ancestry, and led to studying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), followed by replication studies, to determine predisposition from low penetrance genetic variants. With these, novel breast cancer susceptibility loci on some chromosomes as well as the top SNPs from African American,

GWAS were tested. His work on environmental, lifestyle and reproductive factors revealed how genetic factors contribute to the incidence of breast cancer in African women. The cumulative work of Professor Ogundiran and his team led to the development of the Nigerian Breast Cancer Risk Prediction Model as a public health tool for breast cancer control, prevention and early detection in sub-Sahara Africa.

The scientific merits of the work of these three Co-winners are all in the forefront of research in the area of molecular genetics and biotechnology addressed to solving significant health problems affecting mankind.

The achievements of the three Co-winners of the 2018 NAS Gold Medal Prize are of local relevance to the problems of the African region and has internal resonance of high level scientific knowledge contributions from these Co-winners as part of human heritage.

The recipients of the 2018 NAS Gold Prize would receive the Joint Award Medals from the President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Professor Mosto Onuoha FAS at an appropriate ceremony at a date to be announced.

Professor Gabriel B. Ogunmola FAS

Chairman

NAS Science Prize Committee