Yobe-Born Neuroscientist Prof. Bukar Maina Appointed Visiting Professor at University of Sussex

Renowned British-Nigerian neuroscientist from Nguru, Yobe State, Prof. Mahmoud Bukar Maina, has been appointed Visiting Professor at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, the institution where he trained as a neuroscientist.

Prof. Maina is a Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow, Professor of Neuroscience, and Founder and Director of the Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre (BioRTC) at Yobe State University.

He is globally recognised for his groundbreaking research on Alzheimer's disease, dementia, tauopathies, ancestry and disease mechanisms, with particular focus on underrepresented populations.

Since 2022, his BioRTC has trained over 300 early-career African scientists in neuroscience, bioimaging and open science. He is also the founder of TReND in Africa (UK), Science Communication Hub Nigeria, and the African Science Literacy Network, initiatives that have reached millions across more than 10 African countries.

In public service, Prof. Maina currently serves as Honorary Special Adviser on Science, Research and Innovation to the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni.

He has received numerous international awards from the Royal Society of Biology, ALBA-FKNE, New England BioLabs, and the University of Sussex. He was recently conferred with the traditional title of Shettima Ilumuye of Damaturu, Custodian of Knowledge and Enlightenment, by the Damaturu Emirate Council on 11th July, 2025.

Following the relocation of his major research activities to BioRTC in Nigeria, the new appointment will allow him to maintain a research base at Sussex with a small team, while leading a larger team focused on dementia research at BioRTC, thereby strengthening Nigeria-UK research partnership.