International Research Network
Dr. Kelly Chibale
Professor, University of Cape Town; Founder & Director, H3D Foundation — South Africa
Kelly Chibale is a full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Cape Town (UCT) where he holds the Neville Isdell Chair in African-centric Drug Discovery & Development. He is also a Schmidt Sciences AI2050 Senior Fellow, Full Member of the UCT Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine, the Founder and Director of the UCT Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre, and Founder and Director of the H3D Foundation NPC. With C2MCI, Dr. Chibale has partnered with Dr. Vinayak Singh of the University of Cape Town and Dr. Chantelle Capicciotti of Queen’s University to develop safer and more effective antibacterial agents for tuberculosis through the investigation of nanocluster-bacteria interactions.
Dr. Salma Elmallah
Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport — Egypt
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Salma Elmallah obtained her PhD degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Alexandria University in affiliation with Ryerson University. Her Master's degree in molecular sciences was obtained from Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada. She won the best thesis award and was nominated for the Governor's General Gold Medal Award, the most prestigious academic national award in Canada. Salma is now an assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. With C2MCI, Dr. Elmallah has partnered with Dr. Lucia Lee of Queen's University to integrate C2MCI Macro and Nano research approaches in the creation of novel NHC-functionalized materials with enhanced therapeutic efficacy and material stability. This research aims to develop innovative solutions for both biomedical applications and industrial corrosion protection, advancing the fields of cancer nanomedicine and materials science.
Dr. Kenichiro Itami
Professor, Nagoya University Graduate School of Science & Director, Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM) — Japan
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Kenichiro Itami is a researcher specializing in organic chemistry, synthetic chemistry, molecular nanocarbon science, catalytic chemistry, materials science, and chemical biology. Prof. Itami founded the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM) in 2012 and served as its founding director for a decade (2012–2022). ITbM, part of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), became a hub for interdisciplinary research in synthetic chemistry, plant biology, animal biology, and theoretical science, guided by the concept of Mix Lab. With C2MCI, Dr. Itami is working on the CoMBiS (Carbon-based material-biology interface science) project. Supported by JST-ASPIRE, this project aims to pioneer a new scientific field by controlling the interfaces formed between “biomolecules” or “materials” such as metals, carbon, and inorganic substances, and carbon-based molecules through interactions unique to these molecules.
Peter Ngene obtained his PhD in Nanomaterials in 2012 from Utrecht University in Utrecht, Netherlands. He was appointed as one of the Next Einstein Forum Fellows 2017-2019; this prize is awarded to Africa's best and most promising young scientists. He received the award from Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda and currently president of the African Union. In 2016, he won the Van Arkel Prize for his PhD research. Ngene is a researcher and assistant professor at Utrecht University and is working on new materials for the storage of energy. With C2MCI, Dr. Ngene has partnered with C2MCI Research Faculty member Dr. Zhe She of Queen's University to investigate N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs)’ modification of surfaces and improve the performance of metal electrodes in batteries and electrocatalysis applications. This research aims to improve stability and performance in electrochemical energy conversion and storage, supporting the resilient transportation and green energy infrastructure needed to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Emeka Emmanuel Oguzie is a Professor of Chemistry at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and leads the multidisciplinary Electrochemistry and Materials Science Research Unit (EMRU). He holds a BScH degree in Pure Chemistry from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, MSc in Analytical Chemistry from the Federal University of Technology Owerri and PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Calabar. He was a visiting (CAS-TWAS) postdoctoral research fellow (2006-2007) and TWAS-UNESCO Associate (2008-2011) at the State Key Laboratory for Corrosion and Protection, Institute of Metal Research, Shenyang China. He is a Fellow of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID). With C2MCI, Dr. Oguzie has partnered with C2MCI Research Faculty member Dr. Yolanda Hedberg to develop enhanced anti-corrosion coatings for transportation materials and green energy infrastructure. One of the primary challenges with metals deployed in marine environments is corrosion caused by saltwater exposure. The development of coatings that combat the highly corrosive effects of saltwater aims to mitigate costs and promote the use of carbon-based coatings.
Dr. Vinayak Singh
Chief Research Officer Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), University of Cape Town
Dr. Vinayak Singh received his PhD in Microbiology from the Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. From 2011-2016, he completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pathology with the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine at the University of Cape Town in in Cape Town, South Africa before joining the H3D Drug Discovery and Development Centre as Senior Investigator. With C2MCI, Dr. Singh has partnered with Dr. Kelly Chibale of the University of Cape Town and Dr. Chantelle Capicciotti of Queen’s University to develop safer and more effective antibacterial agents for tuberculosis through the investigation of nanocluster-bacteria interactions.