Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences

Professor Oyeronke A. ODUNOLA
Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences

HISTORY OF THE FACULTY OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES

The Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences was derived from the defunct Faculty of Medicine one of the three foundation Faculties of the University. The Faculty currently has 8 Departments. These are the Departments of Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology and Pharmacology/Therapeutics located on the main campus and while the Departments of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Chemical Pathology, Immunology and Virology are located on the UCH campus.

Individually and collectively, the various Departments in the Faculty continue to contribute greatly to manpower development mandate of this University. Specifically, we contribute to the training of MBBS and BDS (Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology/Therapeutics, Pathology, Medical Microbiology/Parasitology, Chemical Pathology, Haematology and Virology) students; B.Sc. Biochemistry and Physiology students; B. Pharmacy (Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology/Therapeutics) programmes; B.Sc. Human Nutrition (Biochemistry, Physiology) programme, B. Physiotherapy (Anatomy, Physiology) programme; B. Nursing (Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry) programme. The Faculty also runs M.Sc, M.Phil. and Ph.D. programmes in the Departments of Biochemistry, Physiology, Anatomy, Pharmacology/Therapeutics, Chemical Pathology and Virology.

Vision

• To be a globally competitive Faculty for teaching and research in basic medical sciences with focus on providing scientific basis for prevention and management of human health problems in Africa primarily and the world at large.

Mission

1. To be a research-driven, student-focused centre for learning and teaching of basic medical sciences.
2. To contribute to national manpower development, producing graduates with adequate knowledge and skills in medical sciences and medicine.
3. To conduct innovative cutting-edge research, with particular reference to discovery of basis of human health problems and proffering strategies for their prevention and management.
4. To be student and staff-friendly, gender sensitive with respect for human rights in all inter-personal engagements.
5. To achieve excellence in all important measurement categories of teaching, research and community services.

In line with the University goal of becoming a world-class University, the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences has identified the following research focus: 

• Human and cell structural biology
• Carcinogenesis and mutagenesis of food products and environmental toxicants in Nigeria.
• Medicinal properties of natural products.
• Disorders of carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism, mineral metabolism, vitaminology.
• Reproductive endocrinology, toxicology, and immunology of Infectious and parasitic diseases.
• Diagnosis, epidemiology, pathogenesis and pathology of diseases of medical importance in Nigeria.
• Diagnosis, epidemiology, pathogenesis and pathology of blood cells and hard tissue cancers in Nigeria.
• Haemoglobinopathies and coagulopathies.
• Ecology, diagnosis, epidemiology pathogenesis and pathology of viruses of medical and economic importance in Nigeria.
• Microbial genome sequence, analyses.
• Development of diagnostics drugs and vaccines.

In the area of research, it is on record that major discoveries and breakthrough research outputs that have informed and continue to inform medical practice and public health programmes in Nigeria, and other parts of the world have emanated from works of scientists in the Faculty.