Biography

Njwen Anyangwe, Ph.D., is an adjunct professor at Howard University, Washington D.C., where she teaches nutritional biochemistry courses to graduate students in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Graduate School, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences.

Anyangwe is an experienced professor with over 25 years of university teaching experience, having previously taught biochemistry, biology, nutritional biochemistry, nutrition and health, and organic chemistry courses at the University of Buea (Cameroon), Wayne State University (WSU) (Detroit, Michigan), Prince Georges Community College (PGCC, Maryland) or Madonna University (Livonia, Michigan).

Anyangwe is also an experienced Toxicologist / Pharmacologist with over 18 years of experience. She was previously a Toxicology Reviewer / Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Engineering (ORISE) fellow at the Division of Dietary Supplements Program at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). After then, she joined Exponent Engineering and Consulting Firm, Washington D.C., U.S.A. as a Toxicology and Food Safety Consultant (Senior Scientist), where she provided regulatory and scientific guidance to clients in the drug, food, medical device and chemical industries.

Anyangwe is a multidisciplinary scientist with education, experience and training in Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, Nutrition, Pharmacology and Toxicology. She holds a B.S. degree (First Class Honors) in Biochemistry (1991) and a M.S. degree in Medical Biochemistry (1995) from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. She obtained her Ph.D. degree in Nutrition and Food Science, with a minor in Cancer Biology (2005) from WSU, Detroit, Michigan.

Anyangwe's B.S. research focused on the efficacy of different brands of chloroquine on malaria parasites. Her M.S. research focused on the efficacy of the antidiabetic herbs, Scoparia dulcis and Catharanthus roseus, in the management of Diabetes Mellitus. Her Ph.D. research focused on the role of the tumor suppressor gene p53 in DNA polymerase β-dependent base excision repair pathway. She did a brief post-doctoral fellowship at University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. She completed her post-doctoral research fellowship at WSU School of Medicine, with assistance from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders (NIDDK) minority RO1 supplement. Her post-doctoral research focused on signaling pathways in colorectal cancer.

She has been a recipient of numerous awards including Best Graduating Female Student, Best Graduating Faculty of Science Student, Best Graduating Biochemistry Student, Dr. Omogbai’s Memorial Prize for Best Biochemistry Student, and University of Port Harcourt’s Women Prize for Best Graduating Female Student. As a doctoral student, she was a recipient of the Graduate Student Professional Travel Award, Summer Dissertation Fellowship, Department of Nutrition and Food Science Scholarship, Arthur J. Walker Memorial Annual Scholarship, Parent Family Endowed Scholarship, Graduate- Professional Scholarship, and Thomas Rumble Fellowship. She was inducted into Wayne State University’s Epsilon Beta Chapter of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars in 2002. She was a BIO-INSTITUTE minority fellow in 2007.

Anyangwe has presented at several scientific meetings and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications. She is a member of several professional organizations including the American Society for Nutrition, the Association for Women in Science, the Food and Drug Law Institute, the Society of Toxicology (SOT) and the African Society for Toxicological Sciences. She was the Newsletter editor for the SOT Special Interest Group (Toxicologists of African Origin, TAO) and she is currently the Secretary / Treasurer of TAO. She is a scientific reviewer for Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology Journal.

Anyangwe has been Keynote speaker, Featured Speaker, Moderator, Panelist or Guest Lecturer in several universities (WSU, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, University of Maryland College Park); fundraising and annual galas (Patcha Cancer Foundation, Serah Rebecca Foundation for Orphans, Atanga Kidney Foundation, ACS All Men’s Health Conference, Wisdom, Wealth and Wellness Conferences); mentoring programs (Committee on Diversity Initiatives for the Society of Toxicology- 2018, 2019,  Kuwa Women Foundation); career development programs (University of Maryland Baltimore County; STEAM Festival; WSU Dept. of Nutrition and Food Science); and women conferences (EXSSA USA, OPSAN Bamenda, Cameroon).

Anyangwe's personal interests include cancer prevention and awareness, health promotion, mentoring young girls, career development for young science professionals and the empowerment of the girl-child and women.