{"id":96613,"date":"2023-02-23T13:58:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-23T19:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=96613"},"modified":"2023-03-08T09:31:14","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T15:31:14","slug":"distinguished-scientist-benson-edagwa-phd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2023\/02\/23\/distinguished-scientist-benson-edagwa-phd\/","title":{"rendered":"Distinguished scientist: Benson Edagwa, PhD"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

This profile is part of a series to highlight the researchers who will be honored at a ceremony on March 9 for UNMC’s Scientist Laureate, Research Leadership, Distinguished Scientist, New Investigator and Community Service to Research Award recipients.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Distinguished Scientist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Distinguished Scientist Award \u2014 which is sponsored by the chancellor \u2014 recognizes researchers who have been among the most productive scientists at UNMC during the past five years.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Name: <\/strong>Benson Edagwa, PhD<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Title:<\/strong> Associate professor, UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Joined UNMC:<\/strong> July 2012<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Hometown:<\/strong> Kenya<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Please describe your research focus in three words or less:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Long-acting effective and safe therapies<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why is research important in the world today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The goal of our research is to create ultra-long-acting medicines to be dosed once every six months or every year to facilitate treatment and prevention of hepatitis B (HBV) and HIV-1 infections. We also are developing long-acting treatments for tuberculosis (TB), chronic pain management and opioid use disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My research will make a difference because:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My research will make a difference for people who are living with or are at risk of acquiring HBV, HIV and TB infections and struggle with adherence to daily lifelong therapy. We also are working on making a difference in the fight against addiction and other chronic conditions through our long-acting drug delivery platform. Notably, we created Exavir Therapeutics Inc. to transform our scientific discoveries into products that will have a positive effect on human health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The best advice I\u2019ve ever received is:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Before getting started, try to understand the box before thinking outside of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Three things you may not know about me are:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • My mother placed me in science after working me so hard on her farm in the village. My wife is a big supporter of my dreams.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • I prefer to work with my students in the laboratory, and since joining UNMC, I have co-mentored 12 PhD students, 13 undergraduates and high school students and currently am training six graduate students.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • God has blessed my wife and me with two amazing boys.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Dr. Edagwa is an associate professor in the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":96616,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"64206,34631,44556,47949,54229,41637","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","topic-inside-unmc","topic-research","department-college-of-medicine","department-pharmacology-and-experimental-neuroscience","department-unmc-today-todays-headlines","department-vice-chancellor-research","author_override-unmc-strategic-communications"],"yoast_head":"\nDistinguished 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