The University College London has appointed Prof Ibrahim Abubakar as the Dean of its Faculty of Population Health Sciences.
In a statement, UCL said the appointment will take effect from August 1, 2021.
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The Nigerian professor will take over from Professor Graham Hart, who has served as inaugural Dean since August 2011.
“We are delighted to announce that Ibrahim Abubakar, a world-leading scholar in the field of infectious disease epidemiology, will take up the post of Dean of the UCL Faculty of Population Health Sciences from 1 August 2021.
“He successfully leading the faculty to its position today as a leading global institution for education and research in public health and clinical medicine, consistently ranked in the world’s top ten. Professor Hart will continue to co-direct UCL Health of the Public.
“Professor Abubakar joined UCL in 2012, jointly appointed between the MRC Clinical Trials Unit and the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care as Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology. In 2016, he was appointed Director of the Institute for Global Health and also served as Vice-Dean International and External Engagement for the faculty. Prior to his appointment at UCL, he led Public Health England’s successful tuberculosis control strategy. He is an NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) Senior Investigator and was elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2020 in recognition of his research in infectious disease epidemiology and migration and health.
“His work focuses on the epidemiology, prevention and treatment of infections including tuberculosis, hepatitides, HIV, and other common problems such as antimicrobial resistance and vaccine-preventable diseases, particularly among vulnerable populations. He has published widely, including over 300 research papers, policy reports, book chapters and textbooks. He has a strong commitment to equality and diversity, supporting excellence in education and research and tackling inequalities and social exclusion,” the statement read.
Professor Abubakar qualified in medicine from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He went on to specialise in public health, graduating with an MSc from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a DPH from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the University of East Anglia, where he later worked as a Professor in Health Protection at the Norwich Medical School. He is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health and the Royal College of Physicians.
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Prof. Abubakar on his appointment.
Buhari, in a statement by his Spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, expressed delight for the unflinching support Abubakar had provided to public health institutions in Nigeria.
He noted that Abubakar’s contributions had helped in achieving tangible results in the area of control and prevention of communicable diseases in the country.
