Dr Uduak Okomo
Clinical Assistant Professor
Medical Research Council The Gambia Unit
Atlantic Boulevard
Banjul
Gambia
+220 4495442
I am a Clinical Assistant Professor and co-lead for the Birth Theme at the Maternal Adolescent Reproductive and Child Health (MARCH) Centre— a collaborative network of over 550 researchers at the LSHTM working to improve the health of women, children & adolescents worldwide. I am also a senior scientist in the Vaccines and Immunity Theme and research coordinator for maternal and newborn health at the LSHTM-MRC Unit in The Gambia, West Africa (MRCG at LSHTM).
I received medical training from the University of Calabar, Nigeria, and completed specialist training in paediatrics with the West African College of Physicians. I also completed a master's degree and doctoral training in Epidemiology at the LSHTM. My MRC clinical PhD training focused on using routine microbiological and molecular techniques to identify the causes of neonatal sepsis in The Gambia. I explored the potential role of maternal bacterial colonisation and nosocomial outbreaks in infection transmission to the newborn, applying genomic techniques to identify circulating pathogen strains, characterise antimicrobial resistance, and improve understanding of probable infection acquisition routes.
My postdoctoral research focused on infection prevention and control measures in newborn and maternity units in low-resource settings and implementation research to improve access to and the delivery of quality maternal and newborn health care. My primary research goal is to strengthen the use of data to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns, and stillbirths in sub-Saharan Africa. Clinical and public health observations can be translated into hypothesis-driven research, and I am committed to maximising research uptake in policy and practice.
I am also a Visiting Lecturer at the College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Nigeria.
I received medical training from the University of Calabar, Nigeria, and completed specialist training in paediatrics with the West African College of Physicians. I also completed a master's degree and doctoral training in Epidemiology at the LSHTM. My MRC clinical PhD training focused on using routine microbiological and molecular techniques to identify the causes of neonatal sepsis in The Gambia. I explored the potential role of maternal bacterial colonisation and nosocomial outbreaks in infection transmission to the newborn, applying genomic techniques to identify circulating pathogen strains, characterise antimicrobial resistance, and improve understanding of probable infection acquisition routes.
My postdoctoral research focused on infection prevention and control measures in newborn and maternity units in low-resource settings and implementation research to improve access to and the delivery of quality maternal and newborn health care. My primary research goal is to strengthen the use of data to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns, and stillbirths in sub-Saharan Africa. Clinical and public health observations can be translated into hypothesis-driven research, and I am committed to maximising research uptake in policy and practice.
I am also a Visiting Lecturer at the College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Nigeria.
Affiliations
MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM
Centres
Centre for Maternal Adolescent Reproductive & Child Health
Vaccine Centre
Antimicrobial Resistance Centre
Teaching
I am an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA). I am dedicated to teaching, mentoring, and supporting the development of early-career researchers, including supervising MSc and PhD students.
My teaching, learning support and supervisory activities include:
- Co-organiser, Current Issues in Maternal & Perinatal Health module
- MSc Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy and Programme
- The London Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H) course
I also support student group discussions on the Pathogen Genomics module.
Research
My research has focused on improving maternal, newborn, and child survival and addressing stillbirths, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, it has explored the causes and management of serious infections, infection transmission dynamics in community and hospital settings, implementation of infection prevention and control measures, and combating antimicrobial resistance.
I am also interested in researching ways to improve access to and the delivery of quality maternal and newborn healthcare. I also use research findings and routine healthcare data to enhance the quality of facility-based care and provide insights that can inform national health policies. In addition to my research, I supervise students interested in maternal and newborn health research.
I am also interested in researching ways to improve access to and the delivery of quality maternal and newborn healthcare. I also use research findings and routine healthcare data to enhance the quality of facility-based care and provide insights that can inform national health policies. In addition to my research, I supervise students interested in maternal and newborn health research.
Research Area
Neonatal health
Newborn health
Maternal health
Child health
Implementation science
Epidemiology
Global health
Paediatrics
AMR (Antimicrobial resistance)
Vaccines
Health systems
Health services research
Disease and Health Conditions
Hospital acquired infection
Infectious diseases
Sepsis
Country
Gambia
Nigeria
South Africa
Ghana
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa (all income levels)
Selected Publications
2023
The Lancet Child & adolescent health
2022
Clinical microbiology and infection
2020
The Lancet Microbe
2019
The Lancet. Infectious diseases
2024
Antimicrobial resistance and infection control
2024
Vaccine
2024
Global Women’s Research Society (GLOW) Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland
2024
BMJ global health
What Bugs Affect Babies On Neonatal Units In Africa?
2024
2024
The Lancet Microbe