Uzoamaka Edith Okwor

Okwor Uzoamaka is a research associate at the University of Arizona with a strong focus on chronic disease epidemiology. With over a decade of experience in public health, she has coordinated multiple studies at the International Research Centre of Excellence, Institute of Human Virology. Ms. Okwor has extensive hands-on research experience in both infectious and non-infectious diseases, with a particular interest on chronic disease epidemiology (Cancer, Obesity, CVD, T2D). As an expert in project management and both qualitative and quantitative research, she ensures that studies are conducted with the highest ethical standards. Known for her proactive, organized approach and exceptional leadership skills, Ms. Okwor excels in conducting research in low-resource settings, with a commitment to improving health outcomes for vulnerable and underserved populations.

• Achieved publication-quality datasets by completing cleaning, merging, and validation of WHI body composition and cancer datasets in SAS with accuracy and efficiency..
• Collaborated with a team of epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and oncologists in the development of analytic plans for the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), contributing to manuscripts on visceral adiposity, FSH, and obesity-related cancer mortality.
• Used Microsoft Excel, SAS, and Stata to develop tracking logs and analytic tables, improving reproducibility and cross-checks for large epidemiologic datasets.
• Used Microsoft Excel to develop inventory tracking spreadsheets.
• Collaborated with a team of 16 research scientists in the implementation of the Prospective Cohort Study of Non-Communicable Diseases among People Living with HIV in Nigeria, ensuring high-quality data collection and adherence to ethical standards.
• Documented and resolved data discrepancies and protocol deviations, which led to timely ethics approvals and clean audit outcomes.
• Supervised a team of 12 research assistants and nurses, providing training in good clinical practice (GCP), data entry, and community engagement.

• Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) – Human Subjects Research, Active since 2016
• Registered Nurse (RN) License – Arizona State Board of Nursing, Active
• Basic Life Support (BLS) – American Heart Association (AHA), Current

• Aug. 2022 Nordic Summer School of Cancer Epidemiology, in Copenhagen Denmark.
• Dec. 2020 Statistics and data analysis in public health. Imperial College London on Coursera
• May 2020 Transformational Leadership certificate- Alison
• March 2019 Project Management in Global Health: University of Washington.
• Dec. 2018 Grant Administration training: CAPRISA, Durban, South Africa.
• 2016 till date West African Bioethics Training Program: Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). Certifications completed are Human research, Responsible conduct of biomedical research, Good clinical practice, Nigerian national code for health research ethics, Basic biosafety training, Essentials of research administration, and Clinical research for coordinators.
• January 2012 Leadership skills and Values Training- LEAP Africa.

• Google scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=14mUyr0AAAAJ
• E. Okpokoro, U. Okwor, C. Osa-Afiana, G. Odonye, S. Abdurrahman, M. Nubwa, M. Lesosky, A. Abimiku , S. Adams (poster) Tuberculosis Infection Control Practice among Antiretroviral (ART) Clinics in North Central Nigeria, 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health, October 2021.
• E Jedy-Agba, A. Romanoff, L Gutnik, U. Okwor, A. Imomon, M. Kojusola, R. Adebiyi, T. Yawe, A. Abimiku, (poster) Impact of a structured training program utilizing a novel mobile health intervention on improving community health worker breast cancer knowledge and understanding of referral patterns for women with breast symptoms in Nigeria, CUGH conference 2021, (virtual).
• Okwor Uzoamaka, Romanoff Anya, Imomon Augusta, Kojusola Margaret, Adebiyi Ruxton, Osa- Afiana Chinye, Weisman Jeb, Jedy-Agba Elima, (oral presentation, presenter) Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a mobile health intervention to improve breast cancer early detection and strengthen the referral process for women with breast symptoms in North-Central Nigeria. International cancer Week (ICW) Nigeria, 28th October 2020.
• Imomon Augusta, Okwor Uzoamaka, Kojusola Margaret, Adebiyi Ruxton, Lily Gutnik, Alash’le Abimiku, Romanoff Anya, Jedy-Agba Elima (poster) A survey of breast cancer knowledge and understanding of referral pathways among community health workers and nurses in the federal capital territory, Nigeria, ICW Nigeria, 26th to 30th October 2020.
• Publications in progress:
• 1. C. Osa-Afiana, U. Okwor, A. Kareemah, A, Abbas., O. Ayorinde., O. Ominijo., G. Odonye., A. Abimiku., E. Okpokoro. Predictors of reversion & conversion rate of Latent TB Infection (LTBI) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in North-Central Nigeria.
• 2. U. Okwor, A. Romanoff, A. Imomon, M. Kojusola, R. Adebiyi, C. Osa- Afiana, J. Weisman, E. Jedy-Agba. Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a mobile health intervention to improve breast cancer early detection and strengthen the referral process for women with breast symptoms in North-Central Nigeria.