Clement Adebamowo

University of Maryland, Baltimore | UMB · Department of Epidemiology and Public Health

Introduction Given the growing number of Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) genomics research projects and the vulnerabilities of study participants, it is critical to evaluate the literature on the ethical challenges in such studies to ensure high ethical standards. Methods We conducted a systematic review of...

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomonas are a global public health burden, particularly in women, where they are linked to HIV, HPV, stillbirth, neonatal complications, pelvic inflammatory disease, and infertility. Asymptomatic infections pose higher risks when left untreated. This study examin...

We conducted a scoping review to ascertain the landscape of ethics regulations for AD/ADRD research in Africa using Arksey and O'Malley's framework. We sourced regulations from the International Compilation of Human Research Standards. We included regulations from 14 countries published between 1997 and 2020. Provisions in the regulations applicabl...

Objective: Understanding the genetic underpinnings of anthropometric traits in diverse populations is crucial for gaining insights into their biological mechanisms and potential implications for health. Methods: We conducted a genome-wide association study, meta-analysis, and gene set analysis of waist-hip ratio (WHR), WHR adjusted for BMI (WHRa...

Epigenetic modifications influence gene expression levels, impact organismal traits, and play a role in the development of diseases. Therefore, variants in genes involved in epigenetic processes are likely to be important in disease susceptibility, and the frequency of variants may vary between populations with African and European ancestries. Here...

Purpose: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a critical aspect of cancer survivorship, influenced by various social determinants of health (SDoH) such as economic stability, education access, and healthcare coverage. Understanding the impact of these determinants is essential for developing interventions that improve the well-being of cancer...

Background: Poor diet quality is a significant and modifiable risk factor associated with numerous non-communicable diseases. Despite its critical importance, there is a paucity of comprehensive data concerning diet quality in Nigeria. In this study, we evaluated the healthiness of food intake among Nigerian adults to identify the factors associate...

Structural variants are responsible for a large part of genomic variation between individuals and play a role in both common and rare diseases. Databases cataloguing structural variants notably do not represent the full spectrum of global diversity, particularly missing information from most African populations. To address this representation gap,...

This article details a correction to: Bamgboye M, Adeyemi D, Agaba E, Yilme S, Adebamowo CA, Adebamowo, SN. A Randomized Controlled Trial to Examine the Relationship Between Peer Mentoring for Physical Activity and Cardiometabolic Health. Global Heart. 2023; 18(1): 53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/gh.1268.

Background Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has reached epidemic proportions globally, including in Africa. However, molecular studies to understand the pathophysiology of T2D remain scarce outside Europe and North America. The aims of this study are to use an untargeted metabolomics approach to identify: (a) metabolites that are differentially expressed betw...

Background Increasing noncommunicable diseases in Nigeria are partly related to dietary factors. However, the lack of validated nutrition assessment tools hinders the conduct of nutritional epidemiology research in this population. Objectives To develop a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and Food Picture Book (FPB) for Nigerian adults, and to as...

PURPOSE Inflammatory mediators are important regulators of immune response and can modulate the inflammation caused by viral infections, including human papillomavirus (HPV). In this study, we evaluated the association between cervical immune mediators, including chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors with HPV infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS...

Genetic variants that underlie susceptibility to cervical high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infections are largely unknown. We conducted discovery genome-wide association studies (GWAS), replication, meta-analysis and colocalization, generated polygenic risk scores (PRS) and examined the association of classical HLA alleles and cervical hrHPV...

Genetic variation in CYP2B6 and CYP2A6 is known to impact inter‐individual response to antiretrovirals, nicotine, and bupropion, among other drugs. However, the full catalogue of clinically‐relevant pharmacogenetic variants in these genes is yet to be established, especially across African populations. This study therefore aimed to characterise the...

There has been no previous systematic, epidemiological study of the reproductive risk factors for uterine fibroids (UF) in African populations despite African women having the highest burden of UF in the world. Improved knowledge of the associations between UF and reproductive factors would contribute to better understanding of the etiology of UF a...

Objectives To assess risk factors for HPV infection, determine knowledge about HPV vaccines, assess willingness to receive the HPV vaccine among adolescent and early adult girls in Nigeria, we administered a structured questionnaire. We also collected samples to determine the prevalence and patterns of HPV infections. Data description The dataset...

Background Studies examining the effect of peer mentoring on physical activity levels have been conducted in mostly elderly and young populations, and the results have been inconsistent. This study examined the impact of one-on-one peer mentoring on physical activity and cardiometabolic parameters in urban adults. Methods The study participants we...

Data science health research promises tremendous benefits for African populations, but its implementation is fraught with substantial ethical governance risks that could thwart the delivery of these anticipated benefits. We discuss emerging efforts to build ethical governance frameworks for data science health research in Africa and the opportuniti...

Abstract Background Persons living with HIV (PLHIV) now live longer due to effective combination antiretroviral therapy. However, emerging evidence indicates that they may be at increased risk for some cardiometabolic disorders. We compared the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its component disorders between persons living with and witho...

Self-report of uterine fibroids (UF) has been used for epidemiologic research in different environments. Given the dearth of studies on the epidemiology of UF in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), it is valuable to evaluate its performance as a potential tool for much needed research on this common neoplasm in SSA women. We conducted a cross-sectional study...

5541 Background: Serum concentration of folate (vitamin B9) and vitamin B12 were inversely associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer in some studies. The association between folate and vitamin B12, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has not been well elucidated. We evaluated whether low serum level of folate and v...

e17522 Background: Evidence suggests that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the cervix, alters local immune markers. The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the types and concentration of cervical cytokines and chemokines in HPV-negative compared to HPV-positive women in sub-Saharan African. Methods: The study population was 275...

e17507 Background: Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) that control post-transcriptional gene expression are attractive candidate molecular targets for cancer screening tests. We evaluated whether sncRNAs expression are markedly different in benign, precancerous, and cancerous cervical tissue. Methods: We examined the expression of six sncRNA species:...

Objective: There has been no previous systematic, epidemiological study of the reproductive risk factors for uterine fibroids (UF) in African populations despite African women having the highest burden of UF in the world. Improved knowledge of the associations between UF and reproductive factors would contribute to better understanding of the etiol...

The low overall survival rates of patients with breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are driven by regionally differing tumor biology, advanced tumor stages at diagnosis, and limited access to therapy. However, it is not known whether regional differences in the composition of the tumor microenvironment (TME) exist and affect patients’ prognos...

Objectives: To assess risk factors for HPV infection, determine knowledge about HPV vaccines, assess willingness to receive the HPV vaccine among adolescent and early adult girls in Nigeria, we administered a structured questionnaire. We also collected samples to determine the prevalence and patterns of HPV infections. Data description: The dataset...

High blood pressure is a heritable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke and other chronic conditions. There is an increasing prevalence of high blood pressure in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to identify genetic variants underlying blood pressure traits in Sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a GWAS, meta-analyses and gene-set analyses of bloo...

Health-related misinformation is a major threat to public health and particularly worrisome for populations experiencing health disparities. This study sets out to examine the prevalence, socio-psychological predictors, and consequences of beliefs in COVID-19 vaccine misinformation among unvaccinated Black Americans. We conducted an online national...

In this study we examine the role of moral values in predicting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Black Americans. Guided by moral foundations theory, we assess the associations between six moral foundations (care, fairness, loyalty, authority, purity, liberty) and attitudes and intentions toward COVID-19 vaccination. Results of a national survey of...

Objective: Self-report of uterine fibroids (UF) has been used for epidemiologic research in different environments. Given the dearth of studies on the epidemiology of UF in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), it is valuable to evaluate its performance as a potential tool for much needed research on this commonest neoplasm in SSA women. Method: We conducted a...

CYP2D6 is a key enzyme in drug response owing to its involvement in the metabolism of approximately 25% of clinically prescribed medications. The encoding CYP2D6 gene is highly polymorphic and many pharmacogenetics studies have been performed worldwide to investigate the distribution of CYP2D6 star alleles (haplotypes); however, African populations...

Background Guided by the 5C (confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation, and collective responsibility) model of vaccination behavior, we examine the psychological antecedents of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance (i.e. attitudes and intentions toward COVID-19 vaccination) among Black Americans, a group disproportionately affected by the coronaviru...

Objective Studies, mainly from high-income countries, suggest that there are ethnic and racial variations in prevalence of uterine fibroids (UF). However, there have been few studies of the epidemiology of UF in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We reviewed published articles on the epidemiology of UF in SSA. Design This was a scoping review of literature...

Purpose Bean intake has been associated with reduced risk of breast cancer, however; only a few studies considered molecular subtypes status and none in African women living in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the associations between dietary intake of beans and breast cancer including its subtypes in Ni...

Background: Leisure-time physical activity(LTPA) is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer, but this has less been investigated by cancer subtypes in Africans living in Sub-Saharan Africa(SSA). We examined the associations between LTPA and breast cancer including its subtypes in Nigerian women and explored the effect modification of body...

548 Background: Modern management of breast cancer requires proper subtyping of the breast tumor to guide appropriate treatment and prognostication. However, there are barriers to availability of this resource in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) which contributes to global inequalities in breast cancer management and outcomes. The non-availa...

Considerable progress has been made in reducing the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of several cancers across the United States in recent decades. Nevertheless, the progress has been uneven with many areas of persistent disparities based on racial/ethnic, rural/urban, and geographical factors. In many cases, these determinants of disparities in...

The Cardiometabolic Disorders in African-Ancestry Populations (CARDINAL) study site is a well-powered, first-of-its-kind resource for developing, refining and validating methods for research into polygenic risk scores that accounts for local ancestry, to improve risk prediction in diverse populations.

Breast cancer is now the commonest cancer in most sub-Saharan African countries. Few studies of the epidemiology and genomics of breast cancer and its molecular subtypes in these countries have been done. The African Female Breast Cancer Epidemiology (AFBRECANE) study, a part of the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative, is desi...

Purpose Knowledge of the prevalence of HPV infection among adolescent and early adult girls is essential to determining the best age for the introduction of HPV vaccine, monitoring vaccine efficacy, and giving insight into determinants of persistent high-risk HPV infection, a necessary cause of cervical cancer. Yet, there have been limited studies...

Genetic variants that underlie susceptibility to high-risk cervical human papilloma virus (hrHPV) infections are largely unknown. We conducted discovery case-case and case-control genome-wide association studies, replication, and meta-analysis, generated polygenic risk scores and examined the association of classical HLA alleles and cervical human...

Cancer incidence is rising rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Dietary intake is an established risk factor for certain cancers but only a few epidemiological studies have been conducted in SSA. This study systematically reviewed and summarized the published literature on this issue and identified gaps that can be addressed in future research. We...

Abstract Objective: Self-report of uterine fibroids (UF) has been used for epidemiologic research in different environments. Given the dearth of studies on the epidemiology of UF in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), it is valuable to evaluate its performance as a potential tool for much needed research on this commonest neoplasm in SSA women. Method: We...

Chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine have been proposed as potential treatments for COVID-19. These drugs have warning labels for use in individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Analysis of whole genome sequence data of 458 individuals from sub-Saharan Africa showed significant G6PD variation across the continent. We identifi...

Background Africa and the Caribbean are projected to have greater increases in Head and neck cancer (HNC) burden in comparison to North America and Europe. The knowledge needed to reinforce prevention in these populations is limited. We compared for the first time, incidence rates of HNC in black populations from African, the Caribbean and USA. Me...

Purpose. Beans intake has been associated with reduced risk of breast cancer (BRCA), however; only few studies considered molecular subtypes status and none in African women. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the associations between dietary intake of beans and BRCA including its subtypes in Nigerian women. Methods. Overall, 472 n...

Purpose: Knowledge of the prevalence of HPV infection among adolescents is essential to determining the best age for introduction of HPV vaccine, monitoring vaccine efficacy and giving insight into determinants of persistent high-risk HPV infection, a necessary cause of cervical cancer. Yet, there’s been limited studies in low-and-middle-income cou...

e22508 Background: The incidence of breast cancer (BC) in Africa (40.4 per 100,000) is 49% that of Europe and North America (81.9 per 100,000) but the mortality rate is 42% higher (19.4 versus 13.7 per 100,000). The high mortality is due to lack of screening. However, more targeted screening based on genomic risks are also missed because of stigmat...

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can prevent numerous cancers, yet uptake remains low for adolescents. Given disproportionate burden of cancers among African Americans, it is important to identify factors that influence HPV vaccination decisions among African American parents, specifically the role and preferences of vaccine campaign messages...

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03286-9.

Introduction: Investigating variation in genes involved in the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of drugs are key to characterizing pharmacogenomic (PGx) relationships. ADME gene variation is relatively well characterized in European and Asian populations, but data from African populations are under-studied—which has implic...

Cancer incidence is growing globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) like Nigeria. Data on incidence and risk factors which is obtainable from Population-Based Cancer Registries (PBCR) and on clinical patterns, management, outcomes and resource allocation and use which is obtained from Hospital-Based Cancer Registries (HBCR...

Background With growth of genomics research in Africa, concern has arisen about comprehension and adequacy of informed consent given the highly technical terms used in this field. We therefore decided to study whether there are linguistic and cultural concepts used to communicate heritability of characters, traits and diseases in an indigenous Afri...

Background Genetic factors may influence the susceptibility to high-risk (hr) human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and persistence. We conducted the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify variants associated with cervical hrHPV infection and persistence. Methods Participants were 517 Nigerian women evaluated at baseline and 6 month...

The vaginal microbiota is thought to play a role in modulating risk of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection. We examined the relationship between the vaginal microbiota and persistent hrHPV infection in HIV-negative and HIV-positive women. We used 16S-rRNA sequencing to characterize the vaginal microbiota of two serial samples taken six...

Population growth, demographic transitions and urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will increase non-communicable disease (NCD) burden. We studied the association between neighborhood greenness and NCDs in a multi-country cross-sectional study. Among 1178 participants, in adjusted models, a 0.11 unit NDVI increase was associated with lower BMI...

Background: Women in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) remain at high risk of developing cervical cancer and have limited access to screening programs. The limits include geographical barriers related to road network characteristics and travel behaviors but these have neither been well studied in LMIC nor have methods to overcome them been i...

Investigating variation in genes involved in the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of drugs are key to characterising pharmacogenomic (PGx) relationships. ADME gene variation is relatively well characterised in European and Asian populations, but African populations are under-studied -- which has implications for safe and e...

Chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine have been proposed as potential treatments for COVID-19. These drugs have warning labels for use in individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Analysis of whole-genome sequence data of 458 individuals from sub-Saharan Africa showed significant G6PD variation across the continent. We identifi...

Objectives To examine the association between dietary intake of beans and breast cancer in Nigerian women. Methods Overall 630 newly diagnosed patients with primary invasive breast cancer were age-matched (±5 years) with 630 controls from the Nigerian Integrative Epidemiology of Breast Cancer (NIBBLE) Study from 01/2014 to 07/2016. Dietary intakes...

Optimal treatment outcomes for breast cancer are dependent on a timely diagnosis followed by an organized, multidisciplinary approach to care. However, in many low-and middle-income countries, effective care management pathways can be difficult to follow because of financial constraints, a lack of resources, an insufficiently trained workforce, and...

Background: Observational studies have documented lower risks of coronary heart disease and diabetes among moderate alcohol consumers relative to abstainers, but only a randomized clinical trial can provide conclusive evidence for or against these associations. Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe the rationale and design of the Modera...

The human endogenous retroviruses HERV-K HML-2 have been considered a possible cause of human breast cancer (BrC). A HERV-K HML-2 fully intact provirus Xq21.33 was recently identified in some West African people. We used PCR technology to search for the Xq21.33 provirus in DNA from Nigerian women with BrC and controls. to see if Xq21.33 plays any r...

Gut dysbiosis has been associated with several disease outcomes including diabetes in human populations. Currently, there are no studies of the gut microbiome composition in relation to type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Africans. Here, we describe the profile of the gut microbiome in non-diabetic adults (controls) and investigate the association between gut...

Background: Expanded access to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) throughout sub-Saharan Africa over the last decade has remarkably improved the prognosis of persons living with HIV (PLWH). However, some PLWH experience virologic rebound after a period of viral suppression, usually followed by selection of drug resistant virus. Determining...

Background: Genetic factors may influence the susceptibility to high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection and persistence. We conducted the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify variants associated with cervical hrHPV infection and persistence. Methods: Participants were 517 Nigerian women evaluated at baseline and 6 months...

Background: Genetic factors may influence the susceptibility to high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection and persistence. We conducted the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify variants associated with cervical hrHPV infection and persistence. Methods: Participants were 517 Nigerian women evaluated at baseline and 6 months...