Our Team

Joy Ukamaka Eze, ACA, is a Research Administrator and Account Officer at IVAN Research Institute, Nigeria. She supports grant development, financial management, compliance, and post-award administration. A trained research administrator, she is passionate about strengthening research administration capacity in IVAN Research Institute.

Ebere Adirika is a Human Resources professional providing strategic and operational HR leadership at IVAN Research Institute. She oversees the Institute’s people management functions across a diverse workforce of staff, field teams, remote personnel, and leadership, ensuring effective workforce management, employee engagement, policy implementation, and organizational effectiveness. She also contributes to research administration and regulatory compliance through the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Administration (ORSPA). With a background in Human Resource Management, Ebere brings a people-centred, systems-driven approach to strengthening workplace practices and supporting institutional growth.

Nzube Favour Ekpunobi is a researcher at IVAN Research Institute and a 2026 African STARS Fellow at the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), Stellenbosch University, South Africa. His research interests span infectious diseases, implementation science, genomics, bioinformatics, and global health. His work focuses on understanding health challenges within their social and health-system contexts and translating research evidence into practical interventions that improve health outcomes. His research experience spans HIV, HPV, and cervical cancer prevention, neglected tropical diseases, maternal and child health, and community-based health interventions. He is particularly interested in implementation research, mixed-methods research, intervention development, and approaches that strengthen the delivery and uptake of evidence-based healthcare in resource-limited settings. Nzube also has a growing interest in emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, diagnostics, outbreak preparedness, and the application of innovative approaches to disease prevention and control. His long-term research goal is to contribute to practical, scalable, and locally relevant solutions to priority public health challenges in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa.

Arinze Udeh is a financial management and consulting professional with over 20 years of experience in financial analysis, financial management, budgeting, grant management, and project financial management. He has extensive experience supporting the financial management of programs funded by both national and international development agencies and donors, including UNDP, UNFPA, PATHS 2, European Union (EU), CIDA, UN Women, Swedish NGO, Christian Aid, Heinrich Böll Foundation, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI-Nigeria), Ford Foundation, Voices for Change (V4C), Justice for All (J4A), Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) – Human Security Division, EU-ACT/British Council, ActionAid Nigeria, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), DFID, and UNDP/National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) etc. His expertise encompasses grant application budget development, financial planning and analysis, budget preparation and monitoring, donor compliance, grant financial management, project financial management, financial reporting, expenditure monitoring, and financial oversight. He also has two years of experience in research finance, further strengthening his capacity to support research and development programs from both financial and operational perspectives. Currently, Arinze serves as Project Finance Manager at IVAN Research Institute, where he provides financial oversight and management for several major research grants, including a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Cervical Cancer Grant, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) funded 2024 Beginning Investigation Grant for Catalytic Research (BIG Cat), and the NIH Community Vital Signs (CVS) Grant. In this role, he coordinates and provides financial management support to a team of 12 Site Research Coordinators across 12 healthcare facilities spanning all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. He is responsible for ensuring effective grant financial management, budget monitoring, compliance, financial reporting, and coordination of project financial activities, while reporting directly to IVAN Research Institute management. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Arinze serves as a Board Member of the Women Empowerment, Education and Peace Building Initiative (WEPBI), contributing his financial management and organizational expertise to initiatives focused on women's empowerment, education, and peacebuilding.

Mrs. Ifemelumma Martha Onyia, ACA is a Research Administrator and Chartered Accountant with nearly a decade of experience in finance, audit, and research administration. She is a member of the Finance Team at the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Administration (ORSPA), University of Nigeria, and a member of the National Council of University Research Administration (NCURA). She is a well-rounded finance professional with cross-sectoral experience in financial modelling, auditing, financial management, and strategic financial analysis. She has a strong ability to interpret complex financial information, align financial imperatives with organisational objectives, and provide sound financial insights to support effective decision-making. Her professional experience combines financial expertise with research administration, positioning her to contribute effectively to the financial management and administration of research and sponsored projects.

I am a physician and public health researcher with experience in clinical care, epidemiology, and implementation science. I currently serve as a Research Fellow at IVAN Research Institute and a Community Medicine Resident at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital. I contribute to the NIH-funded Community Vital Signs Study, which evaluates community-based approaches to hypertension screening and linkage to care. As an NIH Fogarty INSIGHT Global Health Fellow, I also lead the HEART-N Study, which pilots the integration of hypertension care into routine HIV services in Nigeria. My broader research experience includes multidisciplinary studies on cervical cancer prevention, palliative care, and HIV care, with responsibilities spanning protocol development, mixed-methods research, data management, stakeholder engagement, and research team training. My research focuses on strengthening health systems and improving the prevention and management of chronic diseases, particularly HIV and cardiovascular diseases. I am committed to translating evidence into equitable, contextually appropriate, and scalable interventions that improve health outcomes in Nigeria and other resource-limited settings.

Bernice Abalaka is an experienced researcher with over ten years of experience in health research, monitoring, and evaluation of health projects. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science Laboratory Technology from the University of Jos and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She has strong competencies in community- and facility-based implementation research, stakeholder engagement, qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, and scientific manuscript development. Her experience includes supporting health research initiatives and translating research activities and findings into well-documented outputs for research and programme improvement.