Day Sussex varsity led Lagos students in Alzheimer experiment

For the 40 secondary school and A’Level students who gathered within the laboratory section of the International School, (ISL) University of Lagos (UNILAG), there could not have been a better a time to acquire more knowledge in scientific practical especially as it relates to one of the diseases (Alzheimer’s disease) that has been estimated to increase in coming decades in this part of the world.

Described as the deterioration of human mental well-being that often occurs in middle or old age and which does leads to senility, Alzheimer’s disease is seen as virulent disease but one that its care has not been enjoying much attention within the nation’s medical and psychiatry arena.

“We saw this lacuna and we are intervening,” Tosin Adebisi, University of Sussex, Senior International Officer (Africa & The Middle East), “Universities have a social responsibility and at Sussex we have a strong commitment to widening participation. We are proud of our strong links with the University of Lagos and look forward to future collaboration around research, capacity building, empowerment and social impact based firmly on reciprocity. We are delighted to inspire future scientists by setting the students on a path that will make them useful not only to themselves but the society they represent in the nearest future.”

Adebisi’s explanation could not have been less apt. Mahmoud Bukar Maina, a PhD Neuroscience Research Student with Serpell Laboratory; University of Sussex who led the students in session first gave a brief background as to what Alzheimer’s disease is, its causes, symptoms, effects and how to deal with it, all of which he said are requisites to wet the students’ appetite.

Maina proceeded to subsequently divide the students into groups, some of which simulated the disease condition by using protein assays, while others experimented on how brain signals become affected during the disease using a brain game model developed by the Serpell laboratory, University of Sussex, UK.

Students learn

“Today I can say I am a better science student because I have been able to learn about Alzheimer disease, its causes, effects and how to deal with it,” Temiloluwa Akinjoyeju, an SS III school of ISL said at the end of the practical class. “I have also been able to know that protein level has something to do with how bad the Alzheimer disease can be in a patient. I got to know the reduction in protein level contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.”

She added, “And in the course of the practical, we were asked to replicate what goes on during the disease using recombinant protein and BCA assay. We learned how to perform serial dilution and how a protein interacts with cupper to produce purplish colour that is equivalent to protein levels. In all, I can say I am better enlightened that the confusion and memory loss that comes with Alzheimer’s disease should not be taken as the fault of the patient but the process of the disease and its impact on brain cells.”

Maina and a cross section of the students while the lecture was on.

Kosoko Kofoworola, an A’Level student of Cambridge College, Ikeja who also attended the practical class said: “I will describe the practical session we had with Mr Maina as an interesting experience. Our group was given the task to estimate the length of time it will take to transmit brain impulses from one brain region to another in a brain with Alzheimer’s disease and the one without it.

“At the end, my colleague and I realized that it takes a longer time for impulses to be transmitted in the brain of someone with Alzheimer, while it takes a shorter time for impulses to be transmitted in the brain of someone without it. It was truly educative.”

Instructively, the students were not the only ones who were excited about the practical session; their teachers also shared in the excitement.

Teachers react

Chuks Amuka, the Coordinator, A’ level and also a Biology teacher at Cambridge College, Ikeja said he considered the lecture “useful and inspiring because some of our students who offer biology as a course at A’level are actually prospecting to study medicine in universities.”

Amuka noted that when the topic to be treated at the practical session was made known to his school, his students, on their own, carried out researches to have background knowledge and that by the time Maina was taken them through, it became a seamless exercise as they already have an idea of what was being discussed.

Amuka’s view is shared by Austin Uwasomba, a biology teacher at ISL who added that the practical class was coming at the right time in Nigeria where people are experiencing economic recession, polluted environment and many are simply doing anything without knowing what they are doing because they appear to have been stressed both by the state of the economy and the environment. He further described the lecture as an eye opener to the students on likely causes and effects of dementia in the society.

While both biology teachers agreed that the gesture between University of Sussex and Nigerian Schools be sustained in years to come, they nonetheless pointed out certain areas that could be improved on to make similar sessions worthwhile in future.

Opportunities for future learning and collaboration

Uwasomba said it would be interesting if similar practical classes address other deadly but relatively discussed diseases in future. He specifically recommended a class on high-blood pressure, among other diseases he said many are not taking cognizance of.

However, for Amuka, future classes for students should be organized separately for senior secondary school and A’Level students. “This is because A’Level students seemed to understand the demonstrator better not just on the basic level as the secondary school students, but at advanced level. If you ask them more questions, they will respond and they can even make recommendations.

“As it were, if the demonstrator chooses to go deeper in the course being treated, the secondary school students may become lost and confused. And if he chooses to stay at the basic level, the A’Level College may not necessarily find it deep enough for them because they may have this feeling of already surpassing that level,” Amuka said.

The gesture of sustainability the two Biology teachers sought appeared to be hitting the right chord.

Femi Keshinro, an administrative Secretary at the UNILAG Office of International Relations described the hosting of the Alzheimer’s disease practical class at ISL, UNILAG laboratory as a product of a subsisting relationship between UNILAG and University of Sussex. He said the relationship is meant to be better explored in future engagements.

“I see this as a good initiative which my university, the University of Lagos will work to ensure that is sustained between it and University of Sussex for a long time to come. With the kind of session being led by Maina who is a final year PhD student, I can say many of our students are now challenged and ready to take deeper interest in science and what they have been learning from their teachers as well. I’m sure this will help the students who have interest in medicine and paramedic as they become more stimulated about career prospect in their chosen endeavour,” Keshinro said.

Similarly, the Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Sussex, Clare Mackie “On behalf of the University of Sussex, we were delighted to support Mahmoud Maina in delivering his talk “Understanding Dementia” at the University of Lagos. UNILAG is a valued partner of the University of Sussex and shares with us, a commitment to widening educational opportunities for young adults. We were thrilled to donate microscopes to participating schools and support Mahmoud’s work in Lagos and with ‘Trend in Africa,’ in Yobe state.

“Building empowered citizens is central to Sussex’s mission as a prominent and world-class University. We are particularly pleased that Mahmoud’s class at the University of Lagos was so positively received by staff and by students alike. As the proud-sponsor of the Education Award 2016 at the Future Africa Awards, Sussex is pleased to announce ‘Global Dialogues’ and ‘Cafe Scientifique’- a series of academic talks launched in 2017 to inspire future leaders in the arts and sciences,” Mackie said.

Achieving set goals

For Maina, the instructor, the whole idea of a programme like this is to motivate students to develop and nurture interest in science from early age.

He explained that in the developed countries, young people are excelling in biology, chemistry, physics, among a number of other science subjects and that University of Sussex and himself saw the need to replicate such interest and motivation among young Africans as well.

“Also, we want to demonstrate to the students that they can study science with fun. And they can also do it to find cure for diseases just like I am doing something similar for Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, as you can see that during the practical, they were actually learning with fun as they interacted with one another, gist, smiled and shared ideas.

“Another reason for organizing the practical session was to help the students in quickening their decision to specialize at the early stage of their lives. In another word, we want them to start making up their minds from this stage, if they will either go into medicine, chemistry, biology, agriculture, medical laboratory or technology. It would really be bad for someone to have reached 300 or 400 level in University before realizing they don’t have deep interest in what he/she was studying” Maina, a recipient of the University of Sussex Chancellor International Research Scholarship said.

A group picture of the students, their teachers, University of Sussex officials and Maina (in the middle).

Another objective of the practical class, according to the instructor, is the need to increase public awareness about the knowledge of science and the fact that, brain diseases such as epilepsy or mental dysfunction which he said may not necessarily be spiritually connected, have a better way of being handled.

He added that science practical session, like the one he had with the students, will help in the country’s quest for national development in science.

“When young people like we have here are properly trained in many aspects, the resultant effect would be to have sharper minds across the country who can use their wealth of experiences to find solution to any disease. This has even become important in a country like Nigeria where many people patronize those who use herbs to cure ailments. But let’s say those herbs are being harnessed and processed scientifically, you will agree that the society will be better for it because we have young minds that are excelling in solution-driven thinking,” he said.

Maina, who is currently the African Outreach Coordinator for the Non-Governmental Organisation, TReND in Africa said he was impressed by the conducts of the students while the session was on, even as he expressed appreciation to the University of Sussex for giving him the platform to lead the students in the Alzheimer’s practical class.

He also said the practical is in-line with their long-term strategy in TReND to inspire a future generation of African scientists and increase public understanding of science, as such, with the support of TReND, they regularly organize similar activities across Africa.

“I’m quite impressed because these students, after the tutorial we had with them, succeeded in putting into action, all they were told. They succeeded in bringing the experiments to life and that’s quite significant. I did try to ask them questions to test their understanding of the practical they carried out and they answered quite well and good. The good thing is that what they have learnt are what they can apply back in their science classes. Basically, this has actually thrived well,” Maina said.

POSTED BY:OPUOMONI PRIYE

DATE:05/13/2017