Prof. Fatimah Alhassan Dawud (BSc., M.Sc, Ph.D)

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KEYNOTE LECTURE 4

Topic: Mentorship and Networking for Career Growth: Perspective from Senior Physiologist and Emerging Leader

🎓 Speaker: Prof. Fatimah Alhassan Dawud

🏢 Affiliation: Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Profile/Citation

I was born in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria, and had my early education at Ahmadu Bello University Staff School and Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC) Kazaure, Kano State. I earned my B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in Human Physiology in 2002, 2008, and 2014 respectively, from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. My passion for physiology as a career was ignited during my NYSC service at the Department of Human Physiology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Two of my lecturers—Professor Yusuf Sadiq and the late Professor Abid Ali—played pivotal roles in shaping my career path. Professor Sadiq instilled in me a strong foundation in Human Physiology, while Professor Ali inspired my specialization in Gastrointestinal Physiology. This interest was further deepened by extensive training and research experience as a visiting scholar at the Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA, during my Ph.D. research in 2012.

I began my teaching and research career in Human Physiology at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in May 2004 as a Graduate Assistant and rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Gastrointestinal Physiology in November 2024. Over the course of more than 20 years, I have taught numerous undergraduate and postgraduate courses and conducted extensive research in the fields of gastrointestinal and blood physiology. I have authored 42 peer-reviewed publications in both national and international journals.

I am a member of the Physiological Society of Nigeria. My administrative roles have included serving as coordinator of both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. I have acted as an external examiner to eight universities across Nigeria and served as a visiting lecturer at Northwest University, Kano, from 2001 to 2002, where I also held the position of Head of Department and contributed as a member of the External Quality Assurance Committee. Currently, I am the Head of the Department of Human Physiology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. In January 2025, I was honoured with the “Best Performing Head of Department of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences” award by the University in recognition of my outstanding contributions to the university’s objectives.

I am married to Professor Ismail A. Umar, a distinguished Professor of Biochemistry. I’m a mother of two children— one a graduate of Polymer and Textile Science Engineering, and the other a 200-level student of Mechanical Engineering.

Academic and Professional Qualification(s)s

1️⃣ B.Sc. .Human Physiology, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. (2002)

2️⃣ M.Sc. Human Physiology, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (2008)

3️⃣ PhD. Human Physiology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. (2014)

Leadership Role(s)/Position(s) and Membership(s)

1️⃣ Member of the Physiological Society of Nigeria.

2️⃣ Coordinator of both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

3️⃣ External examiner to eight universities across Nigeria.

4️⃣ Visiting lecturer at Northwest University, Kano, from 2001 to 2002, where I also held the position of Head of Department and contributed as a member of the External Quality Assurance Committee.