Mohammed Jidda Umar

In @_TheTransmitter's Rising Stars of Neuroscience 2025, we recognize 25 early-career researchers who have made outstanding scientific contributions and demonstrated a commitment to mentoring and community-building in neuroscience. #StateOfNeuroscience bit.ly/4oVjWmT

I am truly humbled to be recognised as one of The @_TheTransmitter's Rising Stars of #Neuroscience 2025. This recognition reflects not just my work, but the collective effort of colleagues, students, mentors, and partners across Nigeria, the UK, USA and beyond who are helping advance our work in #dementia #iPSc. I am proud to be part of a community working to broaden representation, strengthen capacity, and push the science forward. More about this year’s cohort here: thetransmitter.org/early-career-r…

I am truly humbled to be recognised as one of The @_TheTransmitter's Rising Stars of #Neuroscience 2025. This recognition reflects not just my work, but the collective effort of colleagues, students, mentors, and partners across Nigeria, the UK, USA and beyond who are helping advance our work in #dementia #iPSc. I am proud to be part of a community working to broaden representation, strengthen capacity, and push the science forward. More about this year’s cohort here: thetransmitter.org/early-career-r…

Thank you @Co_Biologists for your unwavering support, which has been instrumental in shaping my research career. I'm grateful for the guidance and look forward to sharing my journey and achievements with you. Thanks to @mahmoudbukar @MalacridaLab @Marceladiazf @BioRTCNig

Over the past few weeks, we have prepared for and now completed the first phase of my @wellcometrust–funded project, which aims to establish a deeply characterised #dementia cohort in northern #Nigeria and Africa’s first open-access #iPSC biobank to advance the understanding of dementia in African populations. We screened over a thousand participants for cognitive ability across the region and collected more than 1,000 biopsy and blood samples — the largest dementia-focused sample collection ever conducted in the region. These samples will now move into the laboratory phase, where they will be processed for biomarker profiling, genomic analysis, and the creation of iPSC models. Our ultimate goal is to establish an open-access iPSC biobank linked to deeply phenotyped dementia cohorts, enabling discoveries on how ancestry shapes #Alzheimer’s and other dementias. This is just the beginning. In the second phase, we will invite selected participants for a comprehensive screening, including neuropsychological batteries, brain imaging, fluid biomarker analysis, and genetic profiling to ensure a truly holistic view of dementia in our communities. I am grateful to our incredible team, the communities who welcomed us, and our partners locally and internationally for helping to make this vision a reality.