BACKGROUND: Professor Ernest B. Izevbigie comes to Margaret Lawrence University, Galilee with more than thirty (30) years of experience in academic life as graduate assistant, lecturer, and administrator. Considering his academic pedigree, he is well suited to lead the Vision of Margaret Lawrence University to become a world-class institution committed to the pursuit of knowledge, innovation, and excellence to meet the challenges of economic and human development in Nigeria and the world focusing on teaching, research, and community service.

Professor Izevbigie is a U.S. National Academy of Inventors (NAI)-Distinguished professor of Growth Biology / Biochemistry who received his Ph.D.  from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan which ranks amongst top 100 universities globally in 1996. He received his Master’s degree from the prestigious University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1988, and his baccalaureate degree (BS) with distinction (the equivalent of first class honour in the Nigerian university system) from Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee in 1986 all in the United States of America (USA). Professor Izevbigie began a post-doctoral programme at the Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC to investigate the aetiology of HIV-associated nephropathy in children, a kidney disease that affects blacks disproportionally compared to other ethnic groups. The novel molecular mechanisms were uncovered and subsequently implicated in other neoplastic diseases such as cancer which formed the basis for a new partnership/ collaboration and subsequent employment with the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA from 1996-1998. He joined the Jackson State University (JSU), Jackson, Department of Biology, College of Science, Engineering & Technology (CSET), Jackson, MississippiUSA in 1999 and was made full Professor of Growth Biology/ Biochemistry in 2008 and remained at JSU until 2012. Professor Izevbigie continued his service on the JSU faculty as Visiting Professor to date. Followed by the appointment as Deputy ViceChancellor at Benson Idahosa University, Benin City in 2012 and was later made substantive Vice Chancellor in April 2013 and served until May 2018

HONOURS AND AWARDS: With regard to the innovation aspect of the Margaret Lawrence University’s Vision, Professor is a world-renowned inventor who received many local, national, and international accolades including the commendation from the United States 113th (2012-2014) Congress, U.S National Academy of Inventors 2012 Fellow for his invention. In recognition of Professor Izevbigie’s contribution to innovation and invention, he and 100 top-world scientists, and esteemed innovators, were awarded the distinction of NAI Charter Fellow inducted in the Charter class of 2012 were 8 Nobel Laureates, and 11 inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame totally 101 scientists and inventors selected globally.

Professor Izevbigie’s research are in the areas of Pharmacognosy, Molecular and cellular Signaling, and Cancer Biology. He is a multiple U.S patent holder (Patent nos. U.S patent 6,541,196; 6,713,098; 6,849,804), an ardent supporter of consumer advocacy, and a translational research scientist. He is the inventor of edoTIDE products— a pharmacological formulations commercially available globally; NAFDAC has approved their use as nutraceuticals (NAFDAC Reg. no. A7-0902L)

GRANT AWARDS: He has a track-record of research grant award of more than $7,000,000

research grant from the U.S. Government, and other non-governmental agencies, received and executed projects 

STUDENT MENTORSHIP: Professor Izevbigie has supervised more than 500 undergraduates and 9 postgraduate students, some now serving as Medical Doctors, Researchers, Deans of Universities, Scientific Review Officers, and Programme Directors at funding agencies, and more.