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LEC PhD Student Awarded Prestigious Schlumberger Foundation Fellowship

Blessing Obinaju Blessing Obinaju

Blessing Obinaju, a LEC PhD Student in the Chemical Management theme, has been awarded a prestigious Schlumberger Foundation Fellowship.

The Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future supports talented women scientists from the developing world by helping them pursue advanced graduate studies in scientific disciplines at leading universities worldwide. Fellows are chosen for their scientific talent, academic achievement and their potential to serve as a role model for other women in science. Each fellow is also selected for her ability to support the socio-economic development of her native region by teaching, pursuing relevant research and strengthening the faculties in her home university.

'The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is known for its oil production activities. However, the combination of oil production and rapid urbanization within the region could possibly contribute towards a significant increase in the level of exposure to chemical and environmental toxins in the region. My research project is designed to study water bodies (rivers, streams, lakes) within the Niger Delta region over a three year period with sampling scheduled to be carried out twice each year (Winter/Spring and Summer/Fall). It will set out to study the possible effects of weather variation on the levels of chemical/environmental toxins (primarily polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in these water bodies. I will then attempt to extrapolate the possible effects of these exposures measured using novel bio-imaging technologies from sentinel organisms (e.g., fish) to the local human population. My supervisor is Prof Frank Martin (Centre for Biophotonics, LEC).'

Fri 23 March 2012