By Louiza Obi
A Professor in the Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Ifeyinwa Maryann Okafor, has emerged as the only African recipient of the prestigious 2026 Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) Foundation Grant, earning international recognition for her groundbreaking research in transfusion medicine.
The grant, announced by the AABB Foundation, honors exceptional researchers whose work demonstrates the potential to advance transfusion medicine and improve patient care worldwide.
Prof. Okafor’s award-winning research project, titled “Genetically Informed Transfusion Strategies for Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria and Rwanda,” seeks to develop the first precision transfusion strategy for sickle cell disease (SCD) in Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the Foundation, the study will genetically map 2,000 blood donors (1,000) each from Nigeria and Rwanda, as well as 600 patients living with sickle cell disease, comprising 400 participants from Nigeria and 200 from Rwanda.
The Foundation explained that the research is designed to identify high-risk blood group mismatches and develop an evidence-based risk prioritization framework to guide safer blood transfusion practices.
It noted that the project is expected to significantly reduce life-threatening transfusion reactions among patients with sickle cell disease while establishing a safer, more effective standard for transfusion care across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Prof. Okafor, who holds academic affiliations with both the University of Calabar, Nigeria, and the University of Rwanda, achieved the distinction as the only African researcher selected for the highly competitive 2026 AABB Foundation Grant.
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