Uchechukwu Chidiebere

My Research

I am a PhD student at Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick. My PhD is primarily supervised by Dr Nicole C. Robb and co-supervised by Professor Anne Straube. My research is based on using advanced microscopy to study the implications of morphological variations in influenza virus pathogenesis.

I use molecular biology, immunology, virology, and physics techniques, including tissue culture, virus infections, plaque assays, infectivity assays, RT-PCR, mammalian cell transfections, immunofluorescence, single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridisation, microscopy, and image analysis. My research aims to contribute to developing effective antiviral strategies and ongoing Influenza vaccine research efforts.

My PhD is funded by the Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) studentship, a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) subsidiary.

Research Interests

Viral Pathogenesis, Viral Epidemiology and Transmission, Antiviral Therapy, Host-Virus Interactions.

Education

2022-date PhD Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research, University of Warwick, UK.

2021-2022 MSc Biotechnology, University of the West of Scotland, UK (Distinction).

2011-2015 BSc Microbiology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria (First Class).

Teaching experience

Senior Graduate Teaching Assistant, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, UK. Oct 2023 – Date

Graduate Teaching Assistant, School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, UK. Oct 2023 – Date

Graduate Assistant, Department of Microbiology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Nigeria. Oct 2019– Sept 2021

Conference papers/presentations

Influenza Meeting Update, 15th-16th December 2025, University of Warwick, United Kingdom (presented a poster)

Joint SLS/WMS PGR Symposium, 20th and 21st May, 2025, University of Warwick, United Kingdom (presented a poster)

MIBTP Symposium, 8th April 2025, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom (Gave a talk)

Microbiology Society Annual Conference, 31st March - 3rd April 2025, Liverpool, United Kingdom (Presented a poster)

WMS symposium, 19th June 2024, University of Warwick, United Kingdom

MIBTP Symposium, 19^th April 2024, Aston University, United Kingdom (presented a poster)

Influenza Meeting Update, 1st-3rd December 2024, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom (presented a poster)

Influenza Meeting Update, 18th-19th December 2023, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom

Microbiology Society Annual Conference, 17th April - 20th April 2023, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

MIBTP Symposium, 19^th April 2023, Harper Adams University, United Kingdom

Publications

Uchechukwu, C. F., & Robb, N. C. (2025). Implications of morphological variation in influenza viruses. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, e00015-25.

Tasnim, A., Murray, L. A., Clayton, R. A., Uchechukwu, C. F., Zhao, J., Liu, S. C., ... & Robb, N. C. (2025). Bioinformatics-based stereochemical elucidation of MM 46115: an unusual antiviral spirotetronate that inhibits clathrin-mediated endocytosis. bioRxiv, 2025-09.

Chidiebere F. Uchechukwu and Adedayo Shonekan. "Current status of clinical trials for phage therapy." Journal of Medical Microbiology 73.9 (2024): 001895.

Chidiebere F. Uchechukwu et al. "Desmoglein-2 and COVID-19 complications: insights into its role as a biomarker, pathogenesis, and clinical implications." Journal of General Virology 104.10 (2023): 001902.

Professional memberships

American Society for Microbiology

Society for Applied Microbiology

Microbiology Society

The UK Clinical Virology Network

Royal Society of Biology

Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum

Recent academic awards (scholarships/prizes)

American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Clinical Virology: Dr Steven Specter Travel Award 2026

Microbiology Society Annual Conference travel grant 2026

Biochemical Society Runner-up poster prize Influenza Meeting Update 2025

Microbiology Society Annual Conference travel grant 2025

Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) studentship (2022-2026)

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship (2021-2022)