University of Jos, Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) was established in 1975 and has eight faculties with an average yearly student intake of 3,500. In 2001, the AIDS Prevention in Nigeria Project in JUTH was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to establish a service and research laboratory, carry out behavioral surveys in high risk groups and commence a PMTCT program. Through this project, JUTH has developed a close and long-standing collaborative relationship with both Northwestern University as well as the Harvard Chan School. An 1800 square foot laboratory and office was constructed for HIV/AIDS and STD work and was commissioned by the Federal Minister of Health in 2002. The JUTH PEPFAR program established in close partnership with Harvard and Northwestern comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment and care services in 14 secondary health facilities and 47 primary healthcare facilities across Plateau State. The JUTH HIV/AIDS Treatment Centre now manages over 10,000 HIV-infected clients on treatment and care.
Site Director
Professor Atiene Sagay, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Jos
atsagay58@yahoo.com
Professor Sagay has been faculty at the University of Jos and Consultant Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) since 1990. He has served as Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Head of Nursing Sciences, Deputy Dean of Medicine and Dean of Medicine at various times. Prof. Sagay has been a member of the University of Jos Senate since 1998 and Professor of OBGYN since 2004. He is one of the leaders of the JUTH HIV Program from its inception in 2002 to date. As Program Director, he established the State-wide Satellite PMTCT program comprising over 60 health facilities across Plateau State. He has training in leadership, ethics, mentorship, grants management, data management, research methodology, data analysis, manuscript writing and responsible conduct of research. Prof. Sagay’s research focus areas are prevention of cervical cancer and reproductive health, particularly in the context of HIV in women and prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
Mentors
Professor Oche Agbaji, Professor of Nephrology and HIV Medicine and Consultant Physician/Nephrologist, Jos University Teaching Hospital
juth.apin@yahoo.com
Professor Agbaji, is Professor of Nephrology and HIV Medicine and Consultant Physician at Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, in Nigeria where he has been involved with the care of HIV patients since 1997. Prof. Agbaji was appointed as the antiretroviral therapy (ART) team lead by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) of Nigeria for the JUTH ART program in 2004, and PI of the JUTH Harvard PEPFAR program in July of 2009. He was appointed as Head of Department of Medicine at JUTH and University of Jos in August of 2018. Prof. Agbaji coordinates the HIV outcomes theme of the Support of Training and Mentoring in Nigeria for Academics (STAMINA) grant (D43TW010130-FIC/NIH) at the University of Jos. He was a Co-Investigator on the Northwestern and Jos University Research Training Program in HIV and Malignancies (1D43TW009575 NIH/ FIC). He currently works in a busy HIV clinic that has cumulatively enrolled over 26,000 HIV-infected patients, teaches Resident Doctors and Medical Students on HIV and other related subjects.
Dr. Godwin Imade, Research Professor/Laboratory Director, University of Jos
ereimade@gmail.com
Dr. Imade is a Research Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Health Sciences, University of Jos (UniJos), Jos, Nigeria where he has worked for about 35 years. He has a solid research and laboratory background with research interests in HIV/AIDS Genomics and drug resistance, Reproductive health including infertility, STIs, HPV related Cancers and infectious diseases. Dr. Imade is currently the Pathology Genomics Core Lead for the US, Northwestern University and Nigeria, University of Jos NIH/NCI funded U54 Co-operative Agreement – Epigenomics biomarkers of HIV associated Cervical and Liver Cancers in Nigeria and Co-investigator for D43 HIV and Malignancies – Northwestern Nigeria -NN-HAM training grant, the Genomics and Informatics theme of the Fogarty/NIH Funded Support of Training and Mentoring in Nigeria for Academics (STAMINA) grant at the University of Jos. Dr. Imade was co-investigator in the Harvard/CDC/JUTH Reaching 90% target of HIV viral suppression: The role of point of care viral load monitoring in resources constrained settings and NIH Funded Harvard/JUTH Zika in Pregnancy Study. He is also the Laboratory Director for the ISO 15189 accredited AIDS Prevention Initiative Nigeria (APIN)/PEPFAR/Harvard Supported state-of-the-art HIV/AIDS Laboratory at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the Genomics and Post Graduate research laboratory, College of Health Sciences, UniJos where he has provided effective and efficient leadership since 2001 and 2018 respectively.
Professor Jonah Musa, Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Jos
jmusa71@gmail.com
Professor Musa is a trained obstetrician and gynecologist and Professor at University of Jos. He has over a decade of clinical and research experience in gynecological oncology with a special focus on cervical cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment in Nigeria. Prof. Musa’s clinical and research collaborations in the reproductive health care of HIV infected women has resulted in the publication of peer-reviewed articles on the epidemiology of mother to child transmission of HIV in Jos Nigeria. His current research focuses on HIV-associated malignancies, particularly cervical cancer.
Professor Stephen Oguche, Professor of Paediatrics Infectious Disease
soguche2001@gmail.com
Professor Oguche is a trained Pediatrician with more than twenty years of clinical practice and research involving children and adolescents. His research focus has been in the subspecialty of infectious diseases affecting children, particularly malaria, HIV and TB and other co-infections in the main among others. He has served as PI and co-investigator in several studies. Prof. Oguche also participated in many studies investigating different pharmacological molecules some of which are now in the market. He has been involved in providing care to patients (Children), building the capacity of hundreds of health workers in Nigeria, and participating in implementation research that provide data useful for treatment policy on infectious diseases. Prof. Oguche has participated inthe development and revision of Nigerian national treatment guidelines for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis.
Professor Basil Okeahialam, Professor of Medicine, Consultant Physician (Cardiology), University of Jos
basokeam@yahoo.com
Professor Okeahialam is Professor of Medicine and Cardiology at the University of Jos. He has been involved in cardiovascular diseases research for over 25 years, focusing on hypertension, dilated cardiomyopathy, cardiovascular disease risk factors, cardiovascular disease in women and HIV associated heart disease. Prof. Okeahialam’s research has significantly contributed to the better understanding of cardiovascular diseases among Africans, particularly in the area of “black” hypertension. He has played important roles in medical education in Nigeria serving as the coordinator of postgraduate medical training at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and Chairman Quality assurance committee & Faculty training co-ordinator of the West African College of Physicians among others. Prof. Okeahialam was a former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Medicine in the Tropics, the official publication of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Jos.
Professor Ibrahim Zoakah, Professor of Community Medicine at the University of Jos
adizoakah@yahoo.com
Professor Ibrahim Zoakah is currently a Professor of Community Medicine at the University of Jos, a position he has held since 2005. He is also the research coordinator of the Department of Community Medicine, University of Jos, a mentoring position to equip staff in my department to produce sound manuscripts for publication. Dr. Zoakah jointly co-authored many publications with junior faculty members through this process. He also served as the Head of Department of Community Medicine, University of Jos and Jos University Teaching Hospital. He has a wide range of training in Community Medicine in Nigeria and abroad and I have also held various academic and administrative positions at the University of Jos and Jos University Teaching Hospital. Being an accomplished Professor of Community Medicine in Nigeria, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and federal ministry of health (FMOH) in executing relevant public health projects in Nigeria.