Dr. Abdul-Warith Akinshipo

The goal of my research is to investigate innovative approaches to enhance the early diagnosis of Ameloblastoma and oral cancer by leveraging technology to improve screening methods, and raising awareness. My research will investigate mutational spectrum of both ameloblastoma and oral cancer as a marker for early diagnosis and treatment. This research has prognostic and therapeutic importance in the era of personalized medicine. Though ameloblastoma is a benign lesion, it is aggressive and can behave like a malignant lesion like oral cancer. We discern that understanding the genomics spectrum of both lesions will be helpful in elucidating common pathogenic pathways that can amenable to early interventions. Anecdotal evidence from the clinics suggest that the traditional risk factors of tobacco use and alcohol consumption is not prominent in oral cancer nor ameloblastoma individuals in this clime. There is an urgent need to understand the associated risk factors and molecular profile of both commonly occurring tumours in Nigerians. Our research will focus on harnessing novel technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and epi/genomic profiling for early detection of both lesions and associated risk factors. My strong passion for research, resilience and experience of my collaborators and mentors, provides a strong basis for leadership and success of this project. My long-term goal is to identify the molecular signatures that can be used for early detection of these tumours.