Ekunwe, Stephen
Stephen Ekunwe
Dr. Ekunwe was a biology professor at Jackson State University. He was a professor for the genetics (lecture and lab) courses and taught graduate-level genetics courses. He also ran a funded research laboratory focusing on extracts from the medicinal basil, Ocimum gratissimum, and its effects on cancer cell proliferation and movement. His laboratory worked extensively in this area and in natural products attempting to isolate the active agent from this medicinal extract. His research interests include bioremediation: isolation and characterization of potential degraders of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HMW-PAHs). He was named a fellow of the African Scientific Institute in 2012. Dr. Ekunwe passed away in 2016.
Graham, B., Stevens, J., Wells, P., Sims, J., Rogers, C., Leggett, S.S., Ekunwe, S. and Ndebele, K., 2014. Enhancement of arsenic trioxide-mediated changes in human induced pluripotent stem cells (IPS). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(7), pp.7524-7536.
Huang, S., Pan, Y., Gan, D., Ouyang, X., Tang, S., Ekunwe, S.I. and Wang, H., 2011. Antioxidant activities and UV-protective properties of melanin from the berry of Cinnamomum burmannii and Osmanthus fragrans. Medicinal Chemistry Research, 20, pp.475-481.
Isokpehi, R.D., Simmons, S.S., Cohly, H.H., Ekunwe, S.I., Begonia, G.B. and Ayensu, W.K., 2011. Identification of drought-responsive universal stress proteins in viridiplantae. Bioinformatics and biology insights, 5, pp.BBI-S6061.
Hunter, R.D., Ekunwe, S.I., Dodor, D.E., Hwang, H.M. and Ekunwe, L., 2005. Bacillus subtilis is a potential degrader of pyrene and benzo [a] pyrene. International journal of environmental research and public health, 2(2), pp.267-271.
Dodor, D.E., Hwang, H.M. and Ekunwe, S.I., 2004. Oxidation of anthracene and benzo [a] pyrene by immobilized laccase from Trametes versicolor. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 35(2-3), pp.210-217.
Dr. Ekunwe was born in Nigeria in 1952, the second of seven children of Gabriel and Mary Ekunwe. His mother was a self-employed businesswoman, and his father worked for the Nigerian public health department treating leprosy patients. Watching his father on the job first motivated Dr. Ekunwe to go into health research and disease treatment. After leaving Nigeria to further his education in the U.S., Dr. Ekunwe completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in biology at Jackson State University in 1985 and 1990, respectively, and earned a doctorate in microbiology and cell and molecular biology from Michigan State University in 1998.
Before coming to Jackson State University, Dr. Ekunwe was an instructor at Tougaloo College, a summer faculty research associate at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in Berkeley, CA, and as teaching assistant at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. Dr. Ekunwe joined the Jackson State faculty in 1998.
He was named a fellow of the African Scientific Institute in 2012. The ASI Fellows Association is an international group of accomplished academics, researchers, and businesspeople in science and technology. The association elects individuals to membership and recognizes each fellow for excellence in their field, and gives awards for distinguished achievement. ASI recognized Ekunwe for his cellular and molecular biology achievements, especially in colon and prostate cancer research with the edible medicinal herb Ocimum gratissimum. He researched microbial molecular genetics, bioremediation, and Escherichia coli, the E. coli bacterium. He was a molecular geneticist who worked on developing wound-healing chemicals and researched soil-contaminating bacteria.
Dr. Ekunwe’s research interests were in the areas of cancer biology and phytotherapeutics, microbial molecular genetics related to bioremediation applications and isolation of potential degraders of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and interaction between bacteriophage T4 and its host, Escherichia coli K-12. His most recent research focus was cancer biology and phytotherapeutics.
Dr. Ekunwe earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology from Michigan State University under the mentorship of Dr. Loren R. Snyder. He returned to his alma mater to teach undergraduates and mentor student researchers and became popular among students within the department due to his lecture style and humor. He deeply cared about his mentees and seeing each of them succeed.
Dustin, Cardon. 2012, February 7. Stephen Ekunwe. Retrieved July 5, 2023 from https://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2012/feb/07/stephen-ekunwe/.
HBCU Digest. 2017, January 6. Jackson State Mourns Esteemed Biology Professor Stephen I. N. Ekunwe. Retrieved July 5, 2023 from https://medium.com/hbcu-digest/jackson-state-mourns-esteemed-biology-pro….