Biography

 

Paula-Peace James-Okoro

Paula-Peace James-Okoro

  • Scholar
  • Nigeria
  • 2022 PhD Clinical Biochemistry
  • Hughes Hall

I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and completed my B.Sc. in Biochemistry at Covenant University, Nigeria. My research interest is in the mechanisms that control body weight and how they can be exploited to improve obesity outcomes. Metabolic diseases, like obesity and diabetes, are a significant health challenge affecting millions of people globally. During my undergraduate study, I developed a keen interest in the interplay of biological processes and lifestyle in the pathophysiology of metabolic diseases. Moreover, growing up in Africa where the rates are alarmingly rising with sub-minimal health research output and public policy efforts strengthened my resolve to address these challenges. At Cambridge, I will study the mechanisms by which gut hormones control body weight and blood sugar levels aiming to develop treatments that modulate gut hormone signaling. This fascinates me because these strategies present the most promising therapeutic avenue to combat the obesity epidemic. I hope to contribute to the development of biomedical infrastructure that can alleviate the burden of metabolic diseases in Africa. I am honoured to be part of the Gates Cambridge community and hope to leverage the platform to pursue my goals and impact lives.

Previous Education

Covenant University Biochemistry 2020