Godwin Edet Oduokpaha
Godwin Edet Oduokpaha
Genome Science and Technology (GST)
Before moving to the United States for his PhD in Genome Science and Technology, he worked as a faculty member at Dominion University, Ibadan, Nigeria where he taught, conducted research, and supervised undergraduate projects. His research interests are in microbiology and genomics, and he has presented his work at several conferences organized by learned societies, including the Nigerian Society for Microbiology (NSM), the Fulbright Alumni Association of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Association of Industrial Microbiologists of Nigeria (AIMN). In 2023, he received the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Award, and in 2025, he won the First Place Award for Best Poster Presentation at the International Science Conference at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Outside of research, he enjoys playing the piano and listening to hymns and slow-paced classical music.
Education
Oduokpaha earned his undergraduate degree from Caritas University, Enugu, Nigeria, and completed his postgraduate studies at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Research
Oduokpaha’s research focuses on understanding how the GnnA and GnnB proteins in Campylobacter jejuni, a common foodborne bacterium, help it cause disease. GnnA and GnnB are both important because they are needed to make a special molecule called 2-amide Lipid X, which is a unique part of the bacterium’s outer membrane. This molecule helps the bacteria survive in harsh environments and interact with the host during infection. By studying GnnA and GnnB, his work aims to explain how changes in the bacterial membrane affect the ability of C. jejuni to survive and cause illness, which may help identify new targets for preventing or treating infections.