Umar Ahmad, PhD

I direct the Directorate of Linkages and International Partnerships at Sa'adu Zungur University, where I lead the development of strategic institutional partnerships, international collaborations, and research networks. Previously, I served three terms as Head of the Department of Anatomy and as Unit Head of Human Genetics Informatics at the university.

Alongside my university responsibilities, I serve as Senior Technical Officer for Pathogen Genomics at the Institute of Genomics, Africa CDC, supporting the coordination and implementation of pathogen genomic surveillance programmes across national public health institutes and regional sequencing hubs in Africa. My work focuses on translating genomic evidence into actionable public health decisions, strengthening molecular diagnostic and sequencing capacities, and informing policies for infectious disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness and response.

My research focuses on applying high-throughput sequencing technologies, including bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), whole-genome sequencing, and whole-exome sequencing, to investigate questions in cancer biology, human genetics, and infectious diseases. My broader interests include computational genomics, bioinformatics capacity development, open science, and the integration of genomic technologies into research and public health systems, particularly in Africa.

In 2022, I founded Open Science Community Nigeria, which has since evolved into the Open Science Community Network (OSCN), to advance open science practices, collaboration, and research capacity development. I serve on the Bioconductor Community Advisory Board, the Board of the International Network of Open Science & Scholarship Communities (INOSC), and the Board of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Through these roles, I contribute to initiatives promoting open research, equitable access to scientific knowledge, and inclusive global research communities.

I also founded BioSeq, a bioinformatics initiative providing computational analysis, research support, and hands-on training to researchers and institutions.