Izuchukwu Francis Okpalanwaka
Immunotherapeutics & Biotechnology
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Biography
Izuchukwu Francis Okpalanwaka completed his Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria in 2016. Francis joined the Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student in August of 2021, and he is presently working in the laboratory of Dr. Devin Lowe with the Department of Immunotherapeutics and Biotechnology on our Abilene campus.
Education:
- BPharm: University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria, 2016.
Research Interests:
Developing bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) that target cancer cell angiogenesis; Exploring cancer tumor microenvironments (TME) for possible drug targets.
Publications:
Before Admission to GPPS:
- Okpalanwaka IF, Adaka IC, Uzor PF, Nwodo NJ. Evaluation of In vivo and In vitro Screening of the Antitrypanosomal Properties of Methanol Leaf Extract and Fractions of Trichilia heudelotii Oliv. (Meliaceae). Trop J Nat Prod Res. 2020; 4(12): 1196-1200.
After Admission to GPPS:
- Anderson TS, Wooster AL, Piersall SL, Okpalanwaka IF, Lowe DB. Disrupting cancer angiogenesis and immune checkpoint networks for improved tumor immunity. Semin Cancer Biol. 2022 Nov; 86(Pt 3):981-996. Epub 2022 Feb 8.
Seminars:
- 04/14/2023 "Generation and characterization of a novel bispecific antibody targeting colorectal tumor angiogenesis"
Memberships:
- Immunotherapeutics and Biotechnology Graduate Student Association (IBGSA), TTUHSC - Treasurer, 2023-2024.
- Immunotherapeutics and Biotechnology Graduate Student Association (IBGSA), TTUHSC - Treasurer, 2022-2023.
- Immunotherapeutics and Biotechnology Graduate Student Association (IBGSA), TTUHSC, 2021-present.
- American Society of Pharmacognosy (APS), 2020-present