Dr Nadia Ikumi

Dr. Nadia Ikumi (neé Chanzu) is a Lecturer in the Division of Anatomical Pathology within the Department of Pathology at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She holds a BSc in Biochemistry with Honours from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, an MSc in Biomedical Sciences from Kingston University London, UK, and a PhD Tropical and Infectious Diseases from the University of Nairobi.

Nadia joined UCT as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Division of Immunology within the Department of Pathology, funded by the prestigious AXA Research Fund. This fellowship allowed her to develop her expertise in placental immunology at Harvard University, USA. She subsequently received another fellowship from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) group on Preterm Birth Prevention and Management (PRIME). Upon completing her postdoctoral fellowship, Nadia was appointed as a Research Fellow in UCT's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She now serves as a Pathology Research Lecturer in the Department of Pathology.

Nadia has won multiple awards. Notably, she was the first African recipient of the AXA Postdoctoral Research Fund Fellowship. She has received grant awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; was a fellow of the CIHR, International Infectious Disease & Global Health Training Program (CIHR, IID & GHTP). Additionally, she has been honoured with a New Investigator Award and numerous scholarships, allowing her to present at significant conferences, including the Annual Meeting of New Champions at the World Economic Forum, where she participated in hosting an Ideas Lab.

Nadia’s research primarily explores the impact of maternal infection on placenta-mediated diseases, building upon her postdoctoral investigations. Integral to Nadia’s research is her passion for highly effective training of students including undergraduate and postgraduate, as well as postdoctoral research fellows. Furthermore, she is an advocate for equity and inclusivity, serving as a Chairperson and Faculty representative on key committees focused on Transformation and Equity at UCT.