Emmanuel Nji

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT EMMANUEL NJI

I am a structural biologist specializing in the structural and functional biology of membrane transport proteins implicated in human, animal, and plant diseases. I earned my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Buea University, Cameroon, in 2004. I hold a Master’s degree in Protein Science and Biotechnology from the University of Oulu, Finland, and a Master’s in Global Health from Karolinska Institute, Stockholm. Additionally, I completed a Master’s thesis on membrane protein structural and functional biology at Imperial College London. I earned my PhD in 2013 from Trinity College Dublin, supported by a competitive scholarship and award.My postdoctoral journey included positions at prestigious institutions such as Stockholm University, Confo Therapeutics in Brussels, and the University of Bordeaux. My research focuses on structure-based drug discovery for diseases like malaria and enteric bacterial infections, utilizing advanced techniques such as AlphaFold, Cryo-EM, and X-ray crystallography. I am also involved in research on antibiotic resistance to inform health policies addressing antimicrobial resistance.Beyond research, I am dedicated to strengthening scientific capacity in Africa. As the co-founder and leader of BioStruct-Africa—a nonprofit with offices in Sweden, Ghana, and Kenya—I work to empower Africa-based scientists in structural biology. Through this initiative, I focus on mentoring, training, and improving research infrastructure.I am a Wellcome Trust International Intermediate Research Fellow, a 2024 Google awardee for a socially impactful project enabled by AlphaFold, and the 2026 Margaret C. Etter Early Career Award winner. As a Visiting Fellow at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron facility in the UK, I have access to advanced structural biology facilities not yet available in Africa. Additionally, I lead an independent research program at the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) in Cameroon.