BioRTC is proud to announce that its Director, Dr. Mahmoud Bukar Maina, has been selected as a member of the prestigious EMBO Global Investigator Network, joining a cohort of 12 outstanding life scientists chosen from Chile, India, Nigeria, Singapore and Taiwan. His selection marks a major milestone for African neuroscience and strengthens the visibility of BioRTC and African research on the international stage.
The EMBO Global Investigator distinction is awarded to group leaders who are conducting exceptional research in the life sciences. Members participate in the network for four years and benefit from extensive scientific exchange, collaboration and professional development opportunities. The network comprises more than 800 current and former EMBO Global Investigators, Young Investigators and Installation Grantees.
For the next four years, investigators receive support for collaborative research visits, training, scientific meetings and leadership development. The programme promotes scientific mobility, fosters collaboration across regions and helps build capacity for innovative life sciences research worldwide.
Advancing African Neuroscience
Dr. Maina, based at Yobe State University in Damaturu, Nigeria, is the second life scientist in Africa to join the EMBO Global Investigator Network through the EMBO Director’s special fund. His research aims to understand the molecular basis of dementia, with a particular focus on how ancestry shapes neurodegenerative disease biology. His laboratory is integrating African stem cell models to increase representation in dementia research and deepen insight into the mechanisms driving tauopathies.
His selection underscores both the growing influence of African biomedical science and the strategic leadership of BioRTC in supporting impactful research across the continent.
A Competitive Selection Process
This year, EMBO received 66 eligible applications, with only 18% awarded funding. Of the 12 selected scientists, eight are male (67%) and four female (33%). The new investigators are affiliated with leading research institutions across five EMBO/EMBC partner countries. Nigeria remains outside EMBO’s formal partnership framework, making Dr. Maina’s inclusion particularly significant.
About EMBO
EMBO is a community of over 2,100 world-class life scientists dedicated to advancing excellence in research. The organisation supports scientists at all stages of their careers and promotes international collaboration, training, mobility, and best scientific practice. More information is available at https://www.embo.org/press-releases/twelve-scientists-become-embo-global-investigators/