Professor Salamatu Sangaljala Machunga-Mambula is a Nigerian-born, US-trained Medical Microbiologist and Immunologist whose career spans nearly four decades across Africa, Europe, and North America. A recipient of the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship and a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States, she was appointed Full Professor of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Abuja in 2020. She currently serves as Head of the Department of Microbiology and the Pioneer Director of the University’s Central Laboratory Services, where she leads national efforts in biosafety and advanced diagnostics.
Her leadership bridges academia, public service, and global health innovation. Professor Machunga-Mambula has led infectious disease surveillance and control initiatives, consulted for Integrate Systems Inc. (USA) and served as Technical Adviser to the Nigerian Presidency on social development. Her career journey includes appointments at Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston University Metropolitan College, Boston , University of Manchester, England U.K, and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. where she advanced translational research and mentored early-career scientists.
A prolific researcher, she has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications . Her scientific contributions include landmark studies on Toll-like receptor signaling in Aspergillus fumigatus and the extracellular biology of heat shock proteins, and she has served as Principal or Co-Investigator on several projects in the country
Outside the lab, Professor Machunga-Mambula is an ordained pastor, a mentor, and an advocate for community health. She has helped mobilize resources and delivered public health education in underserved communities, from Massachusetts to Nigeria. Her cross-sector experience, scientific excellence, and deep commitment to social impact make her an asset to the Board of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) as it continues to strengthen infectious disease response and health systems in Nigeria and beyond.
