A Professor in the Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Ifeyinwa Maryann Okafor, has been named the only African recipient of the prestigious 2026 AABB Foundation Grant, earning international recognition for her contributions to medical research and healthcare.
The grant, announced by the AABB Foundation, honours researchers whose work is expected to advance transfusion medicine and improve patient care around the world.
Prof. Okafor received the award for her research project, “Genetically Informed Transfusion Strategies for Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria and Rwanda,” which seeks to develop the first precision blood transfusion strategy for sickle cell disease in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The study will involve the genetic mapping of 2,000 blood donors—1,000 each from Nigeria and Rwanda—as well as 600 sickle cell disease patients, including 400 from Nigeria and 200 from Rwanda.
According to the Foundation, the research is designed to identify high-risk blood group mismatches and establish an evidence-based risk priority list to improve the safety of blood transfusions for patients living with sickle cell disease.
The project is expected to reduce the risk of severe transfusion reactions while laying the foundation for safer and more effective transfusion practices across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Prof. Okafor, who is affiliated with both the University of Calabar, Nigeria, and the University of Rwanda, was the only African researcher selected for the highly competitive 2026 grant.