I received a Bachelor degree in Medicine and Surgery at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nigeria (2008) and proceeded for residency and fellowship training at University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria where I obtained the fellowship of the West African College of Physician (2017) in Internal Medicine with my area of subspecialisation as Gastroenterology and Hepatology. To align my clinical interest with therapeutics I enrolled for Master Degree in Pharmacology, which I obtained with Distinction.

I am currently practicing as a Gastroenterologist at Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Nigeria. My areas of interest are Neurogastroenterology and Global Digestive Health.

I am a recipient of the American Society for Gastro-Intestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) training Award, American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) International GI training Award and Berenson International Scholarship, which enabled me to have overseas training in Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, U.S.A respectively.

I belong to various National and International societies including Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria, Nigerian Medical Association and Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American College of Gastroenterology and American Gastroenterological Association.

I am happily married with three lovely kids and in my free time enjoys singing, dancing, partying and writing.

Aims

1.Evaluate if small intestinal immune activation is present and similar in stomach paralysis(Gastroparesis) and severe indigestion(functional dyspepsia) compared with  healthy controls.

2.Determine if there is a duodenal and gastric mucosal-associated bacteria and stool microbes in stomach paralysis that differs from severe indigestion and healthy controls.

3.To test if Rifaximin alters stool microbiome, peripheral immune activation, accelerates gastric emptying and improves symptoms in stomach paralysis.

 Summary

Stomach paralysis is a debilitating motility disorder defined by delayed gastric emptying (GE) of solid food without obstruction to the outflow of stomach contents. Unexplained stomach paralysis is considered a distinct disorder from severe indigestion; however, there is very close overlap of symptoms.

Severe indigestion is characterized by increased duodenal eosinophils, duodenal permeability, immune activation, and disruption of the duodenal bacteria, however, the duodenum has not been fully studied in stomach paralysis.

Various drugs have been evaluated in the management of stomach paralysis, although recommendations for the majority of them are limited due to low quality of evidence. Rifaximin is a recognized non-absorbable antibiotic with unique body handling mechanisms, favourable safety profile and effectiveness in severe indigestion. However, Rifaximin has not been tested in stomach paralysis.

As there is now emerging evidence that duodenal injury may lead to slow gastric emptying, we aim to determine if there is increased duodenal inflammation, permeability and immune activation in stomach paralysis vs. severe indigestion and controls and test if Rifaximin alters the stool microbial composition, activates the immune cells, accelerates stomach emptying and improves symptoms in stomach paralysis.

Supervisors: Laureate Professor Nick Talley and Professor Simon Keely.