Chukwuemeka Obuekwe

Chukwuemeka Obuekwe is an early career physician-scientist from Nigeria, currently pursuing an MSc in Integrated Immunology at the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford. He is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the University of Oxford and a member of Green Templeton College. Chukwuemeka is passionate about translational research at the intersection of immunology, gastroenterology and health equity.

He graduated with distinction in Medicine from Obafemi Awolowo University, receiving more than 17 academic awards, including the Nigerian Medical Association’s prize for best graduating student. He also holds a First-Class honours degree in Microbiology from Covenant University, where he was the best graduating student. His research experience includes work on gastrointestinal and liver diseases through global collaborations, including a project as an Ethical Electives Scholar at the University of Cambridge, where he explored a novel approach to treat upper gastrointestinal perforations. Chukwuemeka’s long-term goal is to develop innovative therapeutics that improve care in resource-limited settings.

Beyond clinical and laboratory work, he is committed to education access and equity. He has mentored and taught hundreds of students pro bono and served as Editor-in-Chief of the IFEMED Journal, where he led initiatives to expand open access and support student-led research. As a founding advisor of Healthbridge, a digital health initiative, he is helping to improve access to healthcare in Nigeria. He has also led public health campaigns promoting hepatitis B vaccination and preventive care.

At Oxford, Chukwuemeka aims to deepen his understanding of immune-mediated mechanisms in gastrointestinal diseases and contribute to research that bridges scientific discovery with real-world impact. He intends to return to Africa to lead research and develop scalable healthcare solutions that improve outcomes in underserved communities.