PPSN

Dr Mercy Nwakaego Ezeunala

Mercy Nwakaego Ezeunala (nee Okoli) - a Senior Research fellow of National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Idu, Abuja, was an award winning student in her Primary School, Secondary School and her M.Sc at UI was sponsored by the Federal Government of Nigeria Scholarship Award, 1989. She holds a Doctorate Degree in Parasitology and Environmental Biology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka after embarking on many years of Epidemiology and Molecular Biology Research on Onchocerciasis & its treatment with ivermectin as a WHO/ TDR trainee in TropenMedizinInstitut, Tuebingen, Germany. Dr. Hartwig Schulz-Key was the Co-Supervisor.

Currently in NIPRD, she is the Head of Parasitology Unit in the Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology. Mercy has undergone so many other studies in related and unrelated fields and some of her certificates include;

• USAID and USP TM certificate on ‘Promoting the QUALITY OF MEDICINES Plus’, November, 2020.
• Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, African Society for Laboratory Medicine and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine certificate on Covid-19 Diagnostics and Testing, October, 2020.
• USAID and USP TM certificate on ‘Promoting the QUALITY OF MEDICINES; ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Accreditation, August, 2018.
• USAID and USP TM certificate on ‘Promoting the QUALITY OF MEDICINES; Quality Management Systems, July, 2017.
• New HIV Vaccine & Microbicide Advocacy Soceity (NHVMAS) Bioethics Forum certificate on ‘Ethics Governing Implementation Science Research’, December 2016.
• AGCPN and NAFDAC certificate on ‘Good Clinical Practice and Clinical Trials’, October, 2006.

• Howard University School of Pharmacy certificate on ‘Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP)’ July 2005.
• Howard University School of Pharmacy certificate on ‘Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP)’ July 2005. Nigerian Institute of MANAGEMENT (NIM), May, 2005.

She is actively involved in antiparasitic, antiviral and antibacterial screening of various indigenous plant extracts by the departmental Biotechnology team, a key mandate of NIPRD in drug development. She is the departmental Monitoring and Evaluation Representative as well as the ISO 17025: 2017 QMS departmental Manager and academically involved in supervising both IT students (SIWES) and Post graduate projects both Masters and PhDs. She is a key member of the Stem Cell Research in NIPRD.

Mercy N. Ezeunala is a member and currently the Assistant Secretary of Parasitology and Public Health Society of Nigeria (PPSN), Vice President Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), Abuja Chapter, Vice Chairman Academic Staff Union of Research Institutes (ASURI) NIPRD branch, and for almost a decade the Team Lead of NIPRD Exhibition Team which recently won a Federal Government of Nigeria TECHNO EXPO, 3RD POSITIN AWARD, MARCH,2021.

Her Research interests and activities spans across Phytoscreening studies targeted at drug development from plant and organic extracts using Molecular Biology Bench techniques available in NIPRD. Mercy initiated the in-vitro culture of malaria parasites in NIPRD as well as the NTDs desk striving to establish a robust Parasitology laboratory attracting collaborations nationally and internationally. She has more than thirty publications in Peer Reviewed Journals and is still actively engaged in publishing more

Her hobbies include aerobics, dancing, travelling, listening to messages. Mercy NwakaegoEzeunala, PhD is Married and blessed with a beautiful family.

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