Chidinma Raymond

Chidinma Raymond is a PhD student in Virology at the University of Nottingham, with an undergraduate degree in Microbiology from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria and a master’s degree in Molecular Medical Microbiology from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.

Chidinma’s research interest is in Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a blood-borne virus that infects the human liver, causing hepatitis that kills about 780, 000 people globally each year with 292 million people are currently infected, and a prediction of 30 million new infections each year. Currently, HBV mutates the nature of its surface protein producing escape mutants that can escape detection in clinical diagnosis. This poses a threat as blood or organ donors screened for this virus may still be infected, resulting in transmission through blood transfusions and organ transplants. Chidinma’s project isolates and analyses the genetic sequence of HBV, comparing the genetic makeup of different escape mutant strains in order to identify highly conserved regions of the viral genome that are too crucial to be changed. Consequently, she hopes to design a detection assay targeting the conserved regions of HBV to ensure timely and effective management of HBV infection through precise and thorough diagnosis.

Chidinma who is a STEM ambassador also takes interest in teaching and science outreaches as she actively participates in STEM awareness events within the UK.