Dr Ukpai Eze
Senior Lecturer
Biography
Dr Ukpai Eze is the Course Director of the MSc Biomedical Science Programme at the Chester Medical School, University of Chester in the United Kingdom. He has a significant amount of teaching, research, and leadership skills and experiences that spans across different Nigerian and United Kingdom Universities, including Ebonyi State University Nigeria, Queens University Belfast, University of Leeds, Coventry University, De Montfort University and University of Chester. He has also worked in various Clinical Pathology laboratories enabling him to acquire different clinical laboratory skills and experiences which have been useful for his research as well as student teaching and learning experience. His first degree was a 5-year Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences (B.MLS) Honours from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria of which he emerged in top one (1) percent of his graduating class cohort. He also took the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS, UK) accredited Master of Science programme in Biomedical Science from the University of the West of England Bristol, UK of which he graduated with distinction and won the Thermo Fisher Scientific Prize for best Masters project. In addition, he completed his PhD degree in Molecular Biosciences and Environmental Toxicology under the supervision of academics from Queen's University Belfast and University of Leeds, both in United Kingdom. Ukpai is also a registered Medical Laboratory Scientist with the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN). Furthermore, he is a UK Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registered Biomedical Scientist and a Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) UK. He is a member of several other professional bodies, including the American Society of Microbiology, African Society for Laboratory Medicine, Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Nigeria Medical Laboratory Scientists in the Diaspora (NMLSD), United Kingdom Environmental Mutagen Society (UKEMS), and Applied Microbiology International (Formerly Society for Applied Microbiology – SfAM). He has passion for excellence in research, teaching and learning as well as in clinical pathology laboratory diagnosis. His research interests include clinical and environmental toxicology (especially on the adverse effects of Food and environmental chemical contaminants on human health) and antimicrobial resistance & stewardship. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles in this area and currently, the Science Editor of the African Journal of Reproductive Health (AJRH). In addition, he is interested in science communication, educational leadership and management, digital learning, curriculum development/enhancement, and improving education and training in Biological and Life Sciences, particularly for undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes. He is very passionate about Talent, Skills & Capacity Development, and building the future generation.
Teaching and Supervision
Some of the key areas I enjoy teaching my undergraduate and Postgraduate taught Biomedical Science students include biomedical & research ethics, professional and contemporary skills, Current issues in biomedical science, research & emerging diagnostic technologies, quality management, leadership and training in the Pathology Laboratory, cell biology and molecular pathology, applied biotechnology, etc
Research and Knowledge Exchange
My research involves using cellular in vitro models and human epidemiological studies to understand how natural food contaminants (e.g. mycotoxins), Food phytoestrogens (e.g. isoflavones) and other environmental chemical contaminants (e.g pesticides) affect human reproductive and developmental health as well as cause other metabolic disease conditions such as obesity. I am also interested in antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial stewardship and the antimicrobial effects of natural products (e.g. plant extracts) and essential oils as well as food safety and security. The details of my current and future research areas are as shown below: 1. Impact of environmental and food-borne chemical contaminants on human health Some food-borne toxins (e.g. mycotoxins), food phytoestrogens (e.g. isoflavones) and environmental contaminants (e.g. pesticides and pharmaceutical products) are classified as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These EDCs potentially affect reproduction, development, metabolic processes, and/or behaviour by interfering with normal synthesis, storage, release, transport, metabolism, binding, action or elimination of endogenous hormones. However, many of the mechanisms through which these EDCs negatively impact reproduction and early foetal development as well as cause metabolic diseases such as obesity in both human and wildlife are yet to be elucidated. Therefore, my research examines how these environmental and food-borne chemical contaminants contribute to poor reproduction and developmental health outcomes as well as obesity and other related metabolic diseases through endocrine disruption, damage to organ systems and epigenetic modifications. The methods applied include mammalian cell culture, toxicological assays, high content analysis, reporter gene assay, steroidogenesis assay, LC-MS/MS, differential DNA methylation assay, and real-time qPCR. Fig. 1. Dose response curve of the transcriptional response elicited by 17ß-oestradiol (E2), zearalenone (ZEN), alpha-zearalenol (a-ZOL), 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethane (p,p'-DDT), and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene (p,p'-DDE) with MMV-Luc reporter gene cell line. [Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2019, 130: 68-78] 2. Antimicrobial Resistance, Stewardship and antimicrobial effects of plant extracts and essential oils It has become widely recognised that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest public health threats that mankind faces encompassing huge health and economic burdens on governments and societies globally. The development and spread of AMR have been attributed to the widespread and extensive use of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine as well as in agricultural livestock. Antibiotics are used in food animals to prevent infectious diseases likely to have risen under the modern intensive farming conditions. Such practice encourages potential pathogenic microorganisms to evolve and become resistant to many currently therapeutic antibiotics. In addition, AMR can be transmitted horizontally and vertically between animal species, and from animals to humans and the environment. It has been projected that 10 million people will die from antimicrobial resistance-associated infections globally by 2050 if no intervention strategies are put in place to contain the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). As a result, WHO has designated AMR as one of the top 10 global health threats. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of antibiotics resistance, reducing the unnecessary use of antibiotics through antimicrobial stewardship and promoting the development of alternatives are among the key recommendations for immediate actions by governments worldwide. Therefore, my research is involved in understanding the molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance (especially in ESKAPE pathogens) as well as evaluating the antimicrobial property of various indigenous medicinal plants, traditional herbal medicines and essential oils for their potential application in treatment, prevention of infectious diseases in humans, and their application in food preservation. Click HERE and listen to the Arturo Zinga Podcast where Dr Ukpai Eze Discusses the global burden of Antimicrobial resistance and the need to create more awareness about antimicrobial resistance.