Fungi Awareness, Research and Education (FARE)

Fungi Awareness, Research and Education (FARE)

Main research foci and other areas of research interest of the RG: Advocate Medical, environmental, food, and water mycology.

Other areas of research include:

Promote awareness on fungal diseases and prevention strategies.

Promote fungal disease surveillance, and research on antifungal resistance.

Drug discovery using fungi from different sources, namely: Endophytic fungi, indigenous mushroom etc.

Aflatoxin awareness and prevention.

Myco-remediation.

Public awareness, knowledge of edible and medicinal fungi.

Cultivation of edible and medicinal mushroom.

Name of the Coordinator: Dr Eunice Ngozi Anaele

Other members of Research Group: Dr Calister Elochukwu Ugwu, Mr Felix Nwafor, Dr Benedict O. Unagwu, Mr Precious Obinna Arigbo, Dr Nathaniel Ifeanyi Edeh, Dr Dandi Osibe and Prof. Fabian Ezema.

UNN email address of the coordinator: eunice.anaele@unn.edu.ng

Research group email: fare.unn@unn.edu.ng

Phone number of the coordinator: 08106852556

Base Faculty/Institute/Center of the RG: Faculty of Biological Sciences

Department of the Coordinator: Southeast Zonal Biotechnology Centre/ Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Headshot of the coordinator (not mandatory)

List and brief profiles of members (one paragraph per member) with their UNN website url to their detailed CVs (hyperlinks are OK).

Dr Eunice Ngozi Anaele is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Microbiology, and a Research fellow in the South-East Zonal Biotechnology Centre University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She engages in teaching, supervision and mentoring of both undergraduate and postgraduate students. With over 20 years of experience in microbiological research and special interest in medical mycology, Dr Eunice has employed one-health approach in her research to promote human health. Dr Eunice is a member of various Professional Bodies and Research Groups, with active participation in conferences and training workshops for promotion of public health. She welcomes research collaboration in areas that support her research goals.

Email: eunice.anaele@unn.edu.ng; Mobile: +234-8068770626; +234-8106852556

https://staffprofile.unn.edu.ng/profile/4588

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5424-4076

Dr Ugwu Calister Elochukwu is a Reader in the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. As a Senior academic researcher, she has cumulated experiences in drug designs, formulations, and development in novel drug deliveries with many research outputs. With these experiences, she enjoys putting them into publications to support human lives globally. She has a passion for being updated both in life and her surroundings, which made her choose an academic field. Her academic background includes a Bachelor’s in Pharmacy (B. Pharm), a Master (M. Pharm), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She likes music or listening to the news during her leisure hours.

https://staffprofile.unn.edu.ng/profile/3827

Felix Nwafor holds B.Sc. (2012) and M.Sc. (2018) from University of Nigeria, and currently concluding his PhD programme in the same institution. He currently holds a joint/parallel appointment as a Lecturer I in the Departments of Plant Science and Biotechnology, and Pharmacognosy and Environmental Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. His research interests are centered around Phytomedicine/Ethnomedicine, Plant Taxonomy (including Chemotaxonomy and Molecular Systematics), Phytochemistry, Bioprospecting and Indigenous Knowledge. He has over 40 journal articles and 7 book chapters to his name. He is a member of the Botanical Society of Nigeria (since 2014), Globe Programme Association, U.S.A. (since 2017), International Natural Product Sciences Taskforce (INPST), U.S.A. (since 2018), International Association for Plant Taxonomy (since 2018), Society for Herbarium Curators (since 2021) among others. He is a beneficiary of some academic awards and grants such as the Federal Scholarship Board Award (Nigerian Government) and the Small Collection Grant by the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (2022). https://staffprofile.unn.edu.ng/profile/3621

Dr Benedict O. Unagwu is an Associate Professor at the University of Nigeria Nsukka. He obtained his PhD (Soil Health) from Cranfield University, United Kingdom. He has worked at the University of Nigeria Nsukka for over 10 years, where he taught both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in addition to developing his own research. Dr. Unagwu’s current and previous research interests involve soil fertility conservation and management. With a passion for soil studies, particularly with respect to improving degraded soils using organic wastes, Dr Unagwu has authored over thirty publications and edited several books. He is a Registered Soil Scientist and a member of several organizations, including the Soil Science Society of Nigeria, the International Union of Soil Science Society, the Horticultural Society of Nigeria, and the Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria. https://staffprofile.unn.edu.ng/profile/220

Arigbo, Precious Obinna is a Lecturer I in the Department of Agricultural Extension, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He obtained his professional training at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria. He is a member of Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria (AESON). Mr. Arigbo has conducted and completed several researches in the field of rural sociology and agricultural extension and has been involved in collaborative studies like C4Globe funded collaborative research between University of Nigeria Nsukka and University of Central Lancashire (United Kingdom) that investigated on Food Safety, Hygiene Practices and the Food Security Status in Nigeria – Case of Nsukka Local Government area. NRF Tetfund research strengthening the capacity of agricultural extension lecturers in teaching competency-based undergraduate curriculum in Nigeria etc https://staffprofile.unn.edu.ng/profile/7423

Dr. Nathaniel Ifeanyi Edeh is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Business Education at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, with a Ph.D in Accounting Education and a distinguished academic and professional trajectory spanning teaching, research, curriculum innovation, and institutional development. His scholarly profile integrates business education, vocational and technical education, and applied educational research with advanced competencies in integrating artificial intelligence into education, data analytics, learning management system design, and digital pedagogy, including the deployment of Moodlecloud and ICT-enabled instructional systems for teaching and assessment. Dr. Nathaniel possesses strong expertise in statistical analysis, predictive modelling, automation tools, and research communication, supported by international certifications in ICT, cybersecurity, online collaboration, and global research access systems such as Research4life, as well as continuous engagement with open science and scholarly publishing frameworks. His academic contributions include peer-reviewed publications in reputable indexed journals, authorship of educational textbooks and workbooks, and active participation in conferences focused on technology-enhanced learning, vocational education reform, and sustainable human capital development. He has also demonstrated leadership within the university system while maintaining a strong record of community development and professional service. Dr. Nathaniel is committed to evidence-based practice, innovation in teaching and learning, and the strategic application of artificial intelligence and digital systems to advance educational quality, workforce readiness, and research impact in emerging economies.

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=-rglDbAAAAAJ

Dr Dandi Osibe is a Plant Biologist with interest in the mechanisms involved in stress responses in plant as this is crucial for maintaining sustainable agricultural productivity under the present climate change conditions. Specifically, he is keen on learning how plants adapt their defense traits against insects, fungal and bacterial pathogens. https://staffprofile.unn.edu.ng/profile/8532

Prof. Fabian Ezema is a professor and researcher in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He specializes in nanotechnology, material science and solar energy. He has authored many publications. His curriculum vitae is available on request. https://sgs.unn.edu.ng/sgs-staff/