The research, technical, and administrative teams who deliver our work across every center and site.
The institute's Director and Executive Leadership.
Founding Director of CTAIR and founder of the Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance (NISA), applying implementation science to strengthen maternal and child health services across Nigeria.
Consultant physician anaesthetist and palliative medicine specialist at UNTH, National President of the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Nigeria.
Medical sociologist at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, researching maternal health and the social dimensions of healthcare implementation.
Assistant Clinical Professor at Northeastern University's Bouvé College of Health Sciences, focused on HIV prevention and public health research.
Epidemiologist and implementation scientist, formerly Assistant Director at Nigeria's National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).
Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, leading the Yale Global Mental Health Program and the HAPPINESS Project in Nigeria.
Assistant Professor at Duke University School of Nursing, developing community-driven interventions for chronic disease care including sickle cell disease.
Ebere Adirika is a Human Resources professional providing strategic and operational HR leadership at IVAN Research Institute. She oversees the Institute’s people management functions across a diverse workforce of staff, field teams, remote personnel, and leadership, ensuring effective workforce management, employee engagement, policy implementation, and organizational effectiveness. She also contributes to research administration and regulatory compliance through the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Administration (ORSPA). With a background in Human Resource Management, Ebere brings a people-centred, systems-driven approach to strengthening workplace practices and supporting institutional growth.
Center-specific research managers who oversee day-to-day project administration.
Eze Joy Ukamaka is an Accountant and Project Manager at IVAN Research Institute, with expertise in research grant finance, budgeting, financial management, project coordination, and compliance. She supports the financial and operational management of research projects, with a focus on effective budget oversight, accurate financial reporting, accountability, and compliance with institutional and donor requirements. Joy is an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) and holds a Project DPro certification and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). She is currently pursuing an MBA and is a member of the National Council of University Research Administration (NCURA) and the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). She has also completed professional training in research administration, including certification through UCSD, as well as CITI and RSC certifications. She is passionate about strengthening research administration, enhancing financial systems and controls, promoting accountability, and supporting efficient and sustainable research operations.
Arinze Udeh is a financial management and consulting professional with over 20 years of experience in financial analysis, financial management, budgeting, grant management, and project financial management. He has extensive experience supporting the financial management of programs funded by both national and international development agencies and donors, including UNDP, UNFPA, PATHS 2, European Union (EU), CIDA, UN Women, Swedish NGO, Christian Aid, Heinrich Böll Foundation, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI-Nigeria), Ford Foundation, Voices for Change (V4C), Justice for All (J4A), Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) – Human Security Division, EU-ACT/British Council, ActionAid Nigeria, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), DFID, and UNDP/National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) etc. His expertise encompasses grant application budget development, financial planning and analysis, budget preparation and monitoring, donor compliance, grant financial management, project financial management, financial reporting, expenditure monitoring, and financial oversight. He also has two years of experience in research finance, further strengthening his capacity to support research and development programs from both financial and operational perspectives. Currently, Arinze serves as Project Finance Manager at IVAN Research Institute, where he provides financial oversight and management for several major research grants, including a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Cervical Cancer Grant, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) funded 2024 Beginning Investigation Grant for Catalytic Research (BIG Cat), and the NIH Community Vital Signs (CVS) Grant. In this role, he coordinates and provides financial management support to a team of 12 Site Research Coordinators across 12 healthcare facilities spanning all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. He is responsible for ensuring effective grant financial management, budget monitoring, compliance, financial reporting, and coordination of project financial activities, while reporting directly to IVAN Research Institute management. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Arinze serves as a Board Member of the Women Empowerment, Education and Peace Building Initiative (WEPBI), contributing his financial management and organizational expertise to initiatives focused on women's empowerment, education, and peacebuilding.
Mrs. Ifemelumma Martha Onyia, ACA is a Research Administrator and Chartered Accountant with nearly a decade of experience in finance, audit, and research administration. She is a member of the Finance Team at the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Administration (ORSPA), University of Nigeria, and a member of the National Council of University Research Administration (NCURA). She is a well-rounded finance professional with cross-sectoral experience in financial modelling, auditing, financial management, and strategic financial analysis. She has a strong ability to interpret complex financial information, align financial imperatives with organisational objectives, and provide sound financial insights to support effective decision-making. Her professional experience combines financial expertise with research administration, positioning her to contribute effectively to the financial management and administration of research and sponsored projects.
Data science and IT staff supporting research data collection, management, and analysis.
Godswill Udemba Chukwunaenye is a Data Analyst and Full-Stack Software Developer specializing in building digital solutions for research, institutional operations, and data-driven decision-making. At IVAN Research Institute, he develops institutional web platforms and research technology systems supporting postgraduate programmes, research operations, data collection, and stakeholder engagement. He has contributed to the Community Vital Science (CVS) project, supporting data workflows across 12 partner cities and the deployment of mHealth technology used by over 50 researchers for real-time data collection. He also serves as Development Team Lead at ExpertHub Software Solutions, where he leads development teams, oversees software architecture and delivery, mentors developers, and ensures adherence to engineering best practices. His technical expertise includes PHP/Laravel, React, Vue.js, Python/Django, MySQL, PostgreSQL, APIs, automated testing, and CI/CD. He combines software engineering and data analytics to develop practical systems that improve how organisations collect, manage, analyse, and use information.
Jude Daniel is a Clinical Data Scientist at IVAN Research Institute, bringing over six years of experience in data management, web development, and artificial intelligence research. He currently serves as Data Manager on a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Cervical Cancer Grant, coordinating a team of 24 Site Research Coordinators across 12 facilities spanning all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, and overseeing a dataset of over 34,000 health records. Prior to this role, he led the Institute's IT operations, playing a key part in its growth from a single research center into a five-center Research Institute. Beyond his work at IVAN, Jude has developed AI-driven systems addressing real-world challenges, including a fuzzy logic-based marriage compatibility platform and a chronic kidney disease diagnostic tool. He holds a Master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, along with professional certifications from Meta, IBM, and Vanderbilt University.
Early-career scientists conducting mentored research across the institute's centers.
I am a physician and public health researcher with experience in clinical care, epidemiology, and implementation science. I currently serve as a Research Fellow at IVAN Research Institute and a Community Medicine Resident at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital. I contribute to the NIH-funded Community Vital Signs Study, which evaluates community-based approaches to hypertension screening and linkage to care. As an NIH Fogarty INSIGHT Global Health Fellow, I also lead the HEART-N Study, which pilots the integration of hypertension care into routine HIV services in Nigeria. My broader research experience includes multidisciplinary studies on cervical cancer prevention, palliative care, and HIV care, with responsibilities spanning protocol development, mixed-methods research, data management, stakeholder engagement, and research team training. My research focuses on strengthening health systems and improving the prevention and management of chronic diseases, particularly HIV and cardiovascular diseases. I am committed to translating evidence into equitable, contextually appropriate, and scalable interventions that improve health outcomes in Nigeria and other resource-limited settings.
Preaward Administrator Team typically handles all the administrative and compliance work that happens before a grant, contract, or award is finalized — essentially getting a proposal from idea to submission to signed award
Elizabeth Enang is a research and programme professional with a background in Public Health and Project Management, with experience in research administration, programme coordination, and capacity building. She holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Public Health, is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH). She is a member of the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) and the Consortium of African Research Administrators (CARA). Her training in public health and project management positions her well to coordinate research training and professional development programmes, including the CTAIR Scholar Program, where she supports scholars through coordinating the programme, mentorship activities, and grant-related processes. Elizabeth's work is particularly focused on creating opportunities for early- and mid-career researchers to develop the skills, networks, and confidence required to conduct impactful research and successfully compete for research funding. Through her work, she contributes to building sustainable research communities and strengthening the capacity of researchers to translate knowledge into meaningful improvements in health and society.
Iheoma Chukwu is a graduate of History and International Studies and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy. A Certified Virtual Assistant, she is passionate about diplomatic communication, executive and administrative support, and grant administration. At IVAN, she supports the Institute’s leadership and contributes to grant administration, administrative coordination, and effective organisational operations.
Coordinators managing day-to-day research activities at partner hospital sites nationwide.
Bernice Abalaka is an experienced researcher with over ten years of experience in health research, monitoring, and evaluation of health projects. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science Laboratory Technology from the University of Jos and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She has strong competencies in community- and facility-based implementation research, stakeholder engagement, qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, and scientific manuscript development. Her experience includes supporting health research initiatives and translating research activities and findings into well-documented outputs for research and programme improvement.
Officers connecting the institute's research with the communities it serves.
Elizabeth Idowu Seriboh, is a Community Research Engagement Officer at IVAN Research Institute, Enugu. She has over 9 years of combined experience in Research, Engineering, Information and Communication Technology, and Teaching. Elizabeth is meticulous, effective in meeting deadlines, has strong interpersonal abilities, an effective team player who also functions in an individual capacity when necessary.
She is a registered nurse with over seven years of experience in patient care, disease prevention, health promotion, and community engagement. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Nursing Science and has experience working with individuals, healthcare teams, and community stakeholders to promote improved health outcomes. Her professional interests include community engagement, health research, nursing education, and the development of interventions that address community health needs. She is passionate about building meaningful relationships, supporting ethical research practices, and contributing to programmes that promote health and wellbeing. Through her clinical and community-based experience, she continues to develop her capacity to contribute meaningfully to healthcare delivery, research, and public health initiatives.
Helen Ndarake is a data personnel, data analyst, and Communication Arts graduate from the University of Uyo working within the non-profit sector. Skilled in field data collection, transcription, analysis, and translating raw data into actionable program insights, she brings analytical rigor to research and project execution. Helen also has a strong track record in program implementation and capacity building, actively training and supervising community health assistants to drive impactful, evidence-based initiatives.
Logistics and administrative staff who keep the institute running.