The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has hailed Professor Samuel Achilefu, a Nigerian-born scientist and medical researcher who has pioneered both fundamental and applied research in science, engineering, and medicine.
Professor Achilefu was the inaugural chair and Professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) in Dallas.
According to a tweet by NIDCOM: “Nigeria’s Prof. Dr. Samuel Achilefu invented high-tech infrared goggles which enable Doctors to see cancer cells during surgery. They ensure that no tumour cell is left unremoved. A blue light glows when it’s spotted.
“He owns 59 patents in USA. He won the 2014 St. Louis Award. He also won the 2011 and 2015 St. Louis Innovator Award.
“He is Vice Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine. He is the Director of the Washington University Molecular Imaging Center and Theranostic Innovation Program.
“He is the Co-Director of the Center for Multiple Myeloma Nanotherapy and Co-Leader of the Oncologic Imaging Program of the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University.
“He is a Professor of medicine, biochemistry and molecular biophysics, and biomedical engineering.”
Achilefu has published more than 300 scientific papers.
On October 18, 2021, he was inducted nto the American National Academy of Medicine, a part of the National Academy of Sciences. Membership in the academy is considered one of the highest honours in the fields of health and medicine, and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
According to a citation while being inducted: “Achilefu is the Michel M. Ter-Pogossian Professor of Radiology and director of the Optical Radiology Laboratory at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine. He is being recognized for outstanding contributions in the field of optical imaging for identifying sites of disease and characterizing biologic phenomena noninvasively.
“Achilefu pioneered the development of molecular optical imaging and therapy for human diseases using novel molecular probes and light-sensitive drugs. He discovered a new molecular entity that can be used to deliver drugs to many types of cancer. Achilefu also leads a team that is developing a wearable goggle-based imaging system that allows surgeons to see cancerous cells during surgeries to help them completely remove tumors. Washington University has licensed the cancer goggle technology to Integro Theranostics, a Washington University start-up company based in St. Louis.
“Achilefu is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and the Optical Society. He directs the Molecular Imaging Center and the Center for Multiple Myeloma Nanotherapy at the School of Medicine. Achilefu also serves as vice chair of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the university’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology and co-leads the Oncologic Imaging Program at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. A member of the National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NACBIB), he was honored in 2019 for outstanding lifetime achievements in the field of biomedical optics with the Britton Chance Award in Biomedical Optics, given by the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE).”