Current Position
Associate professor of immunology, infectious diseases and environmental health at University of Sierra Leone and Associate Professor of Medical education at California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM). Dr. N’jai also serves as a Director of University of Wisconsin-Madison Global Health Institute One Health Center West Africa.
Background
Dr. Alhaji U. N’jai is a technical leader, thought leader, and scholar with broad research interests at the intersection of biomedical science (infectious disease, toxicology, immunology, genomics, systems biology), environmental science, One health, anthropology, and indigenous African science. He is an Associate professor of immunology, infectious diseases and environmental health at University of Sierra Leone and Associate Professor of Medical education at California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM). Dr. N’jai also serves as a Director of University of Wisconsin-Madison Global Health Institute One Health Center West Africa. Since December 2014, he has led local and international research collaborations for the control of Ebola, viral hemorrhagic fevers, and emerging infectious disease Sierra Leone and Africa.
Experience
These efforts have resulted in development of a novel Ebola vaccine, training, supervision, and mentoring of post-docs, PhDs, several masters and undergraduates in research. His research in his areas of expertise has resulted in multiple publications and offered new paradigms of thought. From 2011-2016, he was Senior Scientist and Toxicologist, Global Research and Development at Procter & Gamble, USA, leading product development in 180 countries. He currently holds a number of positions including being Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) research Champion for Sierra Leone, a member of the college of experts for the Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) in Gambia, senior technical advisor with National Public Health Agency Sierra Leone, chairman of the One Health Technical Working Group in Sierra Leone, co-chair of the West African Consortium for Clinical Research on Epidemic Pathogens (WAC-CREP), and managing editor of the Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research. He is also a Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator in numerous research projects including Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition, EPSILON Pandemic Sciences, University of Tokyo UTOPIA, and more.
Achievements
In December 2019, he was recognized in the list of the 1000 most influential Black Scientists in America by Cell Mentor and was selected as the Kansas University African Studies Center (KASC) AUT 2022 KASC African Affiliate Fellow. He was elected in 2025 as a fellow of the West African College of Laboratory Medicine. Dr. N’jai is a regular and trusted voice on radio and television on science, public health and social issues in Sierra Leone and Africa. Dr. N’jai is the founder and chief strategist of Project 1808, Inc, a Sierra Leone nonprofit organization and Koinadugu College, a model experiential One Health campus, whose vision is to create thriving communities.
