It’s another historic announcement for Nigeria as Professor Ijeoma Uchegbu, a distinguished figure in Pharmaceutical Nanoscience, is set to take the helm as the 7th President of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge.
Celebrated for her groundbreaking work in nanoparticle drug delivery, she has garnered global acclaim for transforming pain relief and garnering prestigious awards, making significant achievements in the scientific community.
Expert in nanoparticle drug delivery
Not many Nigerians heard of her until a few days ago when she was named the 7th President of a college in Cambridge. Currently holding the position of Professor of Pharmacy at University College London where she had also held the position of Pro-Vice Provost for Africa and the Middle East, Uchegbu’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of drug transport across biological barriers, leading the creation of transformational drug transport nanoparticles.
Innovation in pain relief treatment
A significant milestone in Prof Uchegbu’s career is the development of the enkephalin pain medicine candidate, EnveltaÔ. This innovation is designed to address the opioid crisis and it showcases her groundbreaking work. By demonstrating that peptides can be delivered across the blood-brain barrier as nanofibers, she opened new avenues for pain relief treatment strategies.
Leading academic and research roles
Beyond her groundbreaking research, Prof Uchegbu has held key leadership positions at UCL, serving as the Pro Vice Provost for Africa and the Middle East. Her role involved spearheading international research and teaching engagement strategies in these regions.
Additionally, as UCL’s Provost Envoy for Race Equality, she played a crucial role in steering the organization’s race equality agenda.
Prof Uchegbu has garnered numerous awards, fellowships and accolades, including the Women of Outstanding Achievement in Science Engineering and Technology award from the UK Department of Business Innovation Skills
Recognitions and accolades
Her contributions to science have not gone unnoticed, as Prof Uchegbu has garnered numerous awards, fellowships and accolades, including the Women of Outstanding Achievement in Science Engineering and Technology award from the UK Department of Business Innovation Skills.
Her British pharmaceutical executive, educator achievements include invention of Self-assembling biopolymers. She was a recipient of Tom Gibson Memorial award, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 2000; the New Investigator Grantee on Oral Lipid Drug Delivery Systems, as well as from the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, 2001.
Her innovative science has been also recognized by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, and she was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science in 2021.
Editor. Inventor. Author
Apart from her academic and research roles, Prof Uchegbu wears many hats. She serves as the Chief Scientific Officer of Nanomerics Ltd, a UCL spin-out company she co-founded.
Her editorial work includes being the editor of three books, and she is a named inventor on 11 granted patents. With over 120 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, her influence extends far beyond the laboratory.
A visionary leader for Wolfson College
She couldn’t hide her excitement about her upcoming role. Prof Uchegbu said in a report: “I am thrilled to be joining Wolfson College, an ambitious and forward-thinking institution.”
Her leadership, as announced, will fully commence at the start of the 2024-2025 academic year, marking a new era for the college.
Endorsement by the outgoing president
The current president of the college, Prof Jane Clarke, congratulating Prof Uchegbu on her election, notes: “If she finds being the leader of the ‘Wolfpack’ half as rewarding as I have, then, I can assure her that she will enjoy herself immensely here.”
With over 120 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, UCHEGBU’s influence extends far beyond the laboratory
A legacy of innovation
As Prof Uchegbu prepares to assume her role as the 7th President of Wolfson College, her legacy of innovation, leadership and commitment to scientific excellence stands as a testament to the transformative power of pioneering research.
It is widely reported that the college community are eagerly anticipating the positive impact this woman of valour will bring to the institution, both academically and trans-nationality culturally.
Life’s journey and career
Born on August 16, 1960, in London to Gilbert Uche and stepmother, Cecelia Nene Anyanwu, Ijeoma, also nicknamed Jane Uko, entered a new chapter in her life when she married Andreas Gerhart Schatzlein, a Professor of Translational Therapeutics, Pharma & Bio Chemistry at the University College London School of Pharmacy.
The couple have four children: Ijeoma, Njedika Chidinma, Ifeyinwa Kelechi, and Orla Chiemena Schatzlein.
Her academic journey includes earning her Doctor of Philosophy from the School of Pharmacy in London from 1991 to 1994, after a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Benin, Nigeria, spanning the years 1976 to 1981, and a Master’s degree from the University of Lagos.
Her professional career has been marked by dedication and expertise. Following her doctoral studies, Ijeoma served as a postdoctoral research assistant at the school of Pharmacy in London from 1994 to 1997.
Subsequently, she took on roles at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow Scotland, where she served as a lecturer from 1997 to 2000, a senior lecturer from 2000 to 2002.
She got recognized as a pharmaceutical executive and education of note by Marquis Who’s Who, Ijeoma Uchegbu is an active member of the Controlled Release Society, contributing as the co-editor of the Congressional Research Service newsletter in 2002.
