International scholarship to advance childhood hypertension research through collaboration
Dr Arinola Akinnibosun will be hosted at North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Federation University researcher Dr Arinola Akinnibosun will spend four weeks at North-West University in South Africa after being awarded a scholarship from the International Society of Hypertension (ISH).
Dr Akinnibosun is one of two early- to mid-career researchers who were awarded ISH Collaboration Exchange Scholarships to develop international collaborations. Launched at the 2024 ISH Scientific Meeting in Colombia, this year's program is designed to support early- to mid-career investigators in continuing collaborations initiated at ISH meetings. The awardees will be hosted by established researchers who will support joint activities in 2025.
Dr Akinnibosun, a researcher at the Federation's Health Innovation and Transformation Centre, has conducted work in genomics, with her research including studies on telomere therapy for chronic kidney disease. Telomeres are protective caps, like the plastic tips on the end of shoelaces, but for chromosomes. As cells divide, these telomeres get shorter. The telomeres are a source of protection for cells, and as they keep shrinking, the cell eventually dies.
She will be hosted by Professor Ruan Kruger at the North-West University, South Africa. Professor Kruger is President of the Childhood Hypertension Consortium of South Africa (CHCSA), and Dr Akinnibosun will contribute to the CHCSA's national blood pressure screening project and to genomics research within childhood studies led by the Hypertension in Africa Research Team.
Dr Akinnibosun presented her research on telomeres at the ISH conference and later attended Professor Kruger's presentation. She subsequently reached out to explore the possibility of collaboration.
While at North-West University, Dr Akinnibosun will expand collaboration opportunities between groups studying childhood hypertension and help advance genomics initiatives targeting chronic health issues in African communities.
"It's an initiative from the conference for early-to-mid-career researchers to identify senior colleagues whose work complements theirs," Dr Akinnibosun said.
"I identified Professor Ruan Kruger as someone that I wanted to work with and applied for the program."
Dr Akinnibosun says she is excited by the prospect of working with Professor Kruger's team, both because of her passion for the region and due to limited research on hypertension in children.
"One of the challenges researchers have faced over the years is establishing a baseline for what constitutes hypertension in African children, because childhood hypertension is complex," Dr Akinnibosun said.
"We need to understand the normal range across different regions to accurately identify what qualifies as hypertensive. That requires long-term follow-up to monitor how blood pressure changes over time. In many settings, hypertension in children is not routinely discussed or addressed.”
“We know there’s a strong genetic link to hypertension, and I believe that by assessing children early, we can identify those who are genetically predisposed and explore how lifestyle interventions might help manage the condition.
“For those predisposed but not yet hypertensive, we can look at ways to prevent the onset, both in childhood and later in life.”
Dr Akinnibosun will be in South Africa throughout June and will engage with other researchers in different regions who are working in the field.
She says receiving the scholarship is also a reflection of the strength of her team at Federation University, including Professor Fadi Charchar, Director of the Health Innovation and Transformation Centre (HITC), and Research Fellow Dr Priscilla Prestes.
"I'm passionate about Africa, but I am also passionate about other under-represented groups when it comes to the genetics of hypertension. It's not just the African continent, we also lack data in parts of Asia and the Pacific," Dr Akinnibosun said.
"Much of our genetic information comes from a limited number of population groups, which doesn’t necessarily apply to others. It’s about working toward genomic equity, so that scientific advances benefit everyone, not just a select few."