Professor Chioma Blaise Chikere is a distinguished Professor of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology and the Head of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. She is also an Academic Associate (Professor Extraordinarius) at the Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa (UNISA). Professor Chikere has previously served as the Director of the Entrepreneurial Centre at the University of Port Harcourt (2022–2024).

An accomplished researcher and leader, Professor Chikere is widely recognized for her pioneering studies on bioremediation and microbial ecology, with over 60 journal articles and 70 conference publications to her name. She was awarded the prestigious Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) PhD Fellowship, completing her split-site doctorate at the Universities of Port Harcourt and Pretoria. Her doctoral thesis was recognized by Nigeria’s National Universities Commission as the Best Doctoral Thesis in Biological Sciences (2010), and she has received multiple International Foundation for Science (IFS) research grants.

Professor Chikere’s impactful work has earned her numerous accolades, including the TWAS-UNESCO Associateship, Elsevier Foundation Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge prize, and distinguished merit awards from the University of Port Harcourt. She is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of scientists, having secured six PhD fellowships for her graduate students and actively supporting gender equity in research.

Her research and development collaborations span leading institutions globally, including the University of South Africa, University of Pretoria, Auburn University at Montgomery (USA), University of Glasgow (UK), and Cape Peninsula University of Technology (South Africa), with a strong focus on advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.