Prof. Barack Otieno Abonyo

Name: Prof. Barack Otieno Abonyo

Registrar Planning. Partnership, Research and Innovation

Contact details:

E-mail: babonyo@kibu.ac.ke

Website: kibu.ac.ke

Academic Qualification

Institution [ Date from – to ] Degree(s) or Diploma(s) obtained:
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis ‘IN. USA 2003 Postdoctoral Fellow
East Carolina University, Greenville North Carolina, USA, 2002 Ph.D. Medical Physiology
Dartmouth College Hanover, NH, USA. 1998 Special graduate program for Ph.D.
Moi University (Maseno College), Maseno, Kenya 1997 M. Phil. (Not yet awarded), Molecular Biology
B.S., Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya. 1991 B.Sc. Botany and Zoology

Field of Specialization

Professor of Medical Physiology, Lung inflammatory Diseases

Membership of Professional Bodies

  • American Physiological Society
  • Association of African Biomedical Scientists

Work Experience

  • 2017-To date – Registrar Planning. Partnership, Research and Innovation, Kibabii University, Kenya
  • 2017-2018 – Professor of Medical Physiology, Uzima College of Medicine, Kenya
  • 2013-2017 – Cabinet Minister for Water, Energy and Natural Resources, Kisumu County Government, Kenya
  • 2013-2017 – Director, Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company (KIWASCO)
  • 2009-2012 – Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Florida A and M University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Florida, USA
  • 2008- 2009 -Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.
  • 2005 – 2008 – Assistant Professor of Biology, Florida A&M University, College of Arts and Sciences, Biology Department, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
  • 2005 – 2005 -Visiting Professor of Biology, Florida A&M University, College of Arts and Sciences, Biology Department, Tallahassee, Florida. USA.
  • 2004 – 2005 -Research Associate, Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
  • 1992 – 1994 -Fisheries officer, Kenya Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Kenya.
  • 1991 – 1992 -Biology Teacher at Riokindo High School, Kenya

Professional Research Interest

  • The use of gene silencing for asthma therapy
  • Molecular aspects of chemokine signaling and their role in cancer progression
  • Identification of Eotaxins regulated genes and proteins
  • Modulation of pulmonary surfactant by chemokines during lung inflammation
  • Contribution of chemokines to progression of neurodegenerative inflammation
  • Ce’l1 ‘specific inhibition of cancer cells proliferation
  • Use of African Medicinal Plants in Cancer therapy

Research Experience and Funds Attracted

Grant Title Funding Agency Period/Term Amount (₤, €, $, KES)
Molecular mechanisms of eotaxin Secretion HD41829 (Chambers)
Role : Project Investigator 		Faculty Research Pilot program 2/2/06-2/2/07 $ 5000
The role of eotaxins in neurodegeneration 2G12RR03020 (Lewis)
Role : Project Investigator 		NIH/NCRR/RCMI 9/9/05-9/9/06 $ 5000
“airway Epithelial cells as targets for Anti- inflammatory Respirable Antisense Oligonucleotides”
G12RR03020
Role : Collaborating with Dr. Heiman 		NIH/RCMI 08/13/03 -05/31/2008 $ 502,722
Targeted knockdown of CTP as a mechanism for killing lung tumor cells
2G12RR03020 (Lewis)
Role : Project Investigator 		NIH/NCRR/RCMI 9/9/07-9/9/08 $ 5000
Small interfering RNA targeting Airway chemokines
GM-008111
Role : Collaborating with Dr. Heiman 		NIH/NIGMS/MBRS 5/1/06-4/30/09 $500,000
Identification of eotaxin-3-regulated genes and proteins in alveolar type II cell”
IR15HL093710-01A1
Role : Principal Investigator 		NIH 06/01/2009-06/01/2011 $212,550
“Identification of cytokines and chemokines associated with parkinson’s disease”
G12RR03020 (Lewis)
Soliman, Core Director
Role : Project Investigator 		NIH/NCRR/RCMI 09/09/08-06/30/2013 $10,500
“Biotechnology pathways to Disease prevention and Therapy”
G12RR03020 (Lewis) 09/09/08- Goodman, Core Director
Role: Faculty Coordinator 		NIH/NCRR/RCMI 06/30/2013 $1,533,541
CC chemokines and neurodegenaration G12RR03020 (Lewis) 09/09/08- Goodman, Core Director
Role: Project Investigator 		NIH/NCRR/RCMI 09/30/2009 $6,000
Air Force research lab/RV Eglin AFB.
“The DREAM summer program for recruitment of minorities into the STEM disciplines”
Role: Sub Contractor 		DOD 04/05/2010-04/05/2011 $10,000
The Role of Novel Substituted Diindolylmethane Analogues in the treatment of triple- Negative and ErbB2- positive Breast Cancer.
Role: Project Investigator 		Department of Defence (DOD)- Army Breast cancer research program (BCRP) 04/05/2011-04/05/2014 $1,400,000

Selected Publications 2015-2018: Books and Book Chapters

  • Lamango N. S, Koikov L Randolf D., Abonyo KO and Hubbard J. (2007). Non¬cholinergic organophospphorous toxicity: possible mechanisms involving protein prenylation pathway. A chapter in a book entitled Neurotoxicity syndromes, Nova Publishers. ISBN: 1-60021-797-4.
  • B.O. Abonyo and R Marijani (2010). Efforts to eradicate asthma. International Innovation, June 2010, pg. 71-73.
  • Abonyo, B., Cornell, E., Fixman, 1, Rittman, J. and Wallace, D. (1998) Lake Victoria, A mathematical Ecohistory. (The book is currently in use in Dartmouth college Math curriculum at www.math.dartmouth.edwmatc/math5.medicalllake vict.pdf

Selected Publications 2015-2018: Scientific Articles Published in Refereed Journals

  1. Rukia Marijani, Tierre Matthews, Hasina McGann, Nazarius Lamango, and Barack 0. Abonyo (2011). Regulatory effect of ccl26 on cancer related genes. The FASEB Journal. 25:561.7
  2. Marijani R. and Abonyo B.O. (2011). CTP: Phosphocholine cytidyltransferase alpha (CCT?) siRNA induce cell death of lung cancer cells. Pharm Anal Acta 2:121. doi:l0.417212153-2435.1000121
  3. Errahali J. Younes, Taka Equar, Abonyo BO. and Heiman A.S. (2009). CCL26- targeted siRNA treatment of alveolar type II cells decreases expression of CCR3 binding chemokines and reduces eosinophil migration: Implications in asthma therapy. Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research .29(4): 227-240
  4. Equar Taka, Younes J. Errahali, Barack O. Abonyo, David M. Bauer and Ann S. Heiman * (2008). Post-transcriptional silencing of CCR3 downregulates 1L-4 stimulated release of eotaxin-3 (CCL26) and other CCR3 ligands in alveolar type II cells. Cytokine.44 (3):342-51.
  5. Lamango N. S, Koikov L Randolf D., Abonyo KO and Hubbard J. (2007). Noncholinergic organophospphorous toxicity: possible mechanisms involving protein prenylation pathway. A chapter in a book entitled Neurotoxicity syndromes, Nova Publishers. ISBN: 1-60021-797-4.
  6. Abonyo BO, Lebby K. D, Tonry, J. H, Ahmad, M, Heiman, A S. (2006). Modulation of eotaxin-3 (CCL26) in alveolar type II epithelial cells. Cytokine. 36:237-44.
  7. Abonyo BO, Alexander MS and Heiman AS. (2005). Autoregulation of CCL26 synthesis and secretion in A549 cells: A possible mechanism by which alveolar epithelial cells modulate airway inflammation. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol Physiol, 289:lA78-88.
  8. Heiman, A, Abonyo, B., Darling-Reed, S. and Alexander, M. (2005). Cyt.okine stimulated human lung alveolar epithelial cells release eotaxin-2 (CCL24) and eotaxin-3 (CCL26). J. Interferon and Cytokine Res 25:82-91. (Picture developed in our laboratory was used for the cover of this journal).