Our Management

Professor Tonia C. Onyeka is a Consultant Anaesthetist, Pain and Palliative Medicine Physician at the University of Nigeria, with expertise in clinical care, research, implementation science, and capacity building. She heads the Pain and Palliative Care Unit at her institution and serves as Associate Director of the IVAN Research Institute, Nigeria. She is also National President of the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Nigeria (HPCAN), Editor-in-Chief of the Nigerian Journal of Anaesthesia, and Vice Chair of the i-CREST Task Force of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). At IVAN’s Center for Translation and Implementation Research (CTAIR), she leads and coordinates training and capacity-building initiatives, including the CTAIR Scholar Program, IVAN monthly webinars, Science Communication training, and the Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance (NISA) Research Week. Her research focuses on Palliative Care, Pain Management, Implementation Science, and Health Systems strengthening, with particular interests in adult and paediatric palliative care, cancer and sickle cell disease, digital health, and artificial intelligence. Her work aims to translate evidence into contextually appropriate models of care and strengthen research capacity in Nigeria and other resource-limited settings.

Ngozi Idemili-Aronu is an Associate Professor of Medical Sociology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, with extensive experience in health and social research, implementation science, palliative care, and the social, cultural, and structural determinants of health. Her research lies at the intersection of healthcare, society, culture, and health systems, with a particular focus on improving the quality of life and care experiences of people living with chronic and life-limiting illnesses. She has extensive expertise in qualitative and mixed-methods research, including interviews, focus group discussions, ethnographic observation, and participatory approaches, with strong experience in community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration. She is Principal Investigator of the WHO/TDR-funded INTERWOVEN Study, which investigates palliative care needs among women living with HIV and barriers and facilitators to integrating palliative care into primary healthcare services. She also leads PACE-2, supported through an NIH U01 administrative supplement, focusing on the co-creation and assessment of a culturally and contextually appropriate palliative care package for women living with HIV and cervical cancer. She is also Co-Principal Investigator on an ATPS-funded project examining the use of artificial intelligence in the production, management, and marketing of Nsukka Yellow Pepper. Her work is grounded in medical sociology, implementation research, participatory methodologies, and health systems perspectives, with a strong commitment to translating research into contextually appropriate interventions that improve health outcomes and strengthen healthcare delivery.