深夜福利国产精品

Biography

Amos Fatokun is Professor of Pharmacology and Neuroscience at Liverpool John Moores University, UK, where he leads a team working at the chemistry-biology interface to develop more efficacious small-molecule therapeutics for diseases such as cancers and neurodegenerative conditions. 
 
Amos was fascinated by science from his secondary school days in Nigeria, which he completed as the school鈥檚 overall best student and best student in mathematics and the sciences. He obtained a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) Degree with Distinction from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, after which he undertook a funded PhD at the University of Glasgow, UK (2003-2006), under the supervision of Professors Trevor Stone and Rob Smith. He was the runner-up for the British Neuroscience Association Prize for the best PhD in Neuroscience in the UK in 2006.
 
Amos conducted postdoctoral studies through competitive research fellowships, including the American Heart Association (AHA) Postdoctoral Fellowship in the lab of Ted and Valina Dawson at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA (2007-2010); the EU Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship, and the Nottingham Advanced Research Fellowship, both in the lab of Professor Steve Hill at the University of Nottingham, UK (2010-2013). He was a recipient of the University of Sydney鈥檚 International Visiting Research Fellowship in 2010 (where he worked in the lab of Professor Nick Hunt). 
 
Amos has supervised and mentored several PhD students and postdocs from different parts of the world. His research is externally funded, has acquired a patent, and has won awards and prizes for excellence and innovation. He is a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society (BPS), and the African Academy of Sciences.

This prize is a significant inspiration and encouragement to both those who are still on the receiving end of challenges, and to others who are working diligently and selflessly to ensure we overcome the barriers.

Amos Fatokun

Q&A

Can you tell us more about your work?

My research work seeks to improve knowledge of how diseases such as cancers and neurodegenerative conditions (e.g. Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, Parkinson鈥檚 disease) occur and then to harness this knowledge to ultimately develop more effective and safer medicines to treat these diseases. My work is conducted at the intersection of biology and chemistry, and my lab investigates both synthetic agents and those derived from nature for their potential to become medicines.

The work that led to this prize is focused on improving the experiences of ethnically diverse, especially Black, students and staff who are underrepresented in research, particularly in STEM subjects, and who face significant barriers to access, retention, attainment and progression in education and research. My work involves identifying and contextualising these barriers and then creating awareness among various stakeholders of the barriers and potential solutions, in accessible ways, for example through animations of key socio-cultural scenarios and their interpretations.

For example, one of my projects is helping to create awareness within higher education of how the socio-cultural backgrounds of students and staff from non-Western cultures define and influence the way they learn, socialise and seek support. Such awareness is often inadequate or lacking, leading to poor or negative experiences or outcomes for these students and staff, whether they are from overseas or born and domiciled in the West but raised in families that uphold or retain significantly, or predominantly non-Western socio-cultural values influenced by their ancestry.

Why is this work so important? 

Research and innovation will benefit from the full representation of underrepresented groups. In seeking to deploy research to solve the myriad intractable problems that contemporary society confronts, we miss a great deal, and are all the poorer for it, when we fail to receive and integrate significant contributions from certain parts of society, especially ethnically diverse communities, because the systems and structures in place inadvertently or knowingly marginalise them.

My work is important because it seeks to encourage the rightful, unhindered participation of ethnically diverse, especially Black, individuals in education and research, so that society can fully benefit when access and opportunities are equitable for all.

What motivates you personally to continue this work, and what experiences have shaped that motivation? 

The results we have seen so far have motivated me to continue the work. Since I started this work, I have seen some positive and significant impacts of these efforts, in the form of many lives that have been transformed through improved awareness of both subtle and overt barriers, as well as the translation of this improved understanding within educational, research, corporate and associated communities into key strategic, governance, policy and operational changes. These changes are positively redefining approaches to key areas such as student recruitment, teaching and learning (including curriculum development and delivery, student supervision and pastoral support), postdoctoral supervision and mentoring, academic appointments and promotions, institutional leadership, committee membership, internationalisation, and membership and leadership of learned societies and professional organisations.

There is still much work to do, but we are heartened to see progress.

How do you hope your work will grow or influence the chemical sciences in the coming years? 

My work will help to better understand the factors that have made it difficult, to date, to attain or sustain good representation of individuals from underrepresented groups in the chemical sciences. This includes a lack of, or inadequate, understanding of the influence of socio-cultural factors and their associated contexts.

What advice would you give to individuals from underrepresented backgrounds considering a career in chemistry? 

Some, if not most, of the transformative solutions to our world鈥檚 problems have come through chemistry research or interdisciplinary research with chemistry at its core or as a key component, and this is likely to continue. This positions chemistry as indispensable to humanity and to life in general. 深夜福利国产精品 will always be relevant to all of us.

However, many students can find chemistry intimidating, and this can be compounded by belonging to an underrepresented group, as there are additional challenges to contend with. I would like to emphasise that, while chemistry might be challenging, it is not inaccessible, and you can study chemistry and succeed in doing so. You can enjoy it, and it can be rewarding. You need to develop a can-do mindset, be focused, work hard, and engage with the right people and resources, but these values are not beyond you.

I encourage you to identify and engage with relevant in-person or online mentoring opportunities, including through the Royal Society of 深夜福利国产精品 and similar organisations, read inspirational books about how people have overcome barriers and vulnerabilities, and seek out opportunities to develop intellectual, technical and soft skills, especially in the context of the chemical sciences. Please note that a single instance of failure does not define you. If you try and it does not work, learn from the process, seek guidance and try again. Look for role models.

What personal or professional experiences have shaped your perspective on inclusion and belonging in science? 

First, I would like to acknowledge all individuals who have supported my career in various ways. My interactions with them, and with many others who share similar values, have shown that allies come from diverse backgrounds and are genuinely interested in removing historic and emerging systemic and structural barriers to the representation of ethnically diverse, especially Black, individuals in science.

While some approaches to these challenges may be limited or tokenistic, the progress made through genuine efforts provides strong encouragement to continue to do more.

I have also realised that some individuals, who for various reasons may not previously have been aware, or fully aware, of these barriers, or of their severity in terms of the outcomes for affected individuals, are genuinely interested in learning more and taking action to help. Together, we are making progress, but it is my hope that it will not be too long before we reach where we should be.

What does an inclusive and supportive research culture look like in practice? 

An inclusive and supportive research culture is one that enables and supports everyone, regardless of their background, to thrive and flourish in research.

It is an environment where leadership is truly representative of the population, access to resources and opportunities is equitable, all voices and perspectives are heard and respected, people genuinely support and care for one another, merit consistently counts, progression pathways are clear, and excellence is genuinely celebrated, no matter where it comes from.

How has collaboration contributed to the impact of your work? 

Collaboration has helped to identify and explore a range of perspectives on delivering interventions in the most effective ways to various stakeholders. It has also provided pathways for reaching different communities and working at scale to maximise reach and impact. The emerging networks will support project sustainability and the preservation of legacy outcomes that can be built upon in the future.

How is your work helping to make the chemical sciences more inclusive or impactful for society? 

My work promotes a holistic understanding of the multiple scientific and societal factors that combine to create barriers to access, retention and progression in the chemical sciences for ethnically diverse, especially Black, individuals.

Part of my work involves speaking to secondary school students and community groups from diverse backgrounds, through which I help them to understand the relevance of science, including the chemical sciences, to their daily lives, and to identify how they can participate in research, either directly by becoming researchers themselves or by supporting science in society, including through participatory research and philanthropic support.