Faith Ukachukwu

Dr Faith Ukachukwu is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Optometry at Teesside University, with multidisciplinary experience bringing over a decade of expertise across academia, clinical practice, and translational research. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a registered member of the College of Optometrists (UK), he is committed to advancing student learning and eye health through innovative teaching and research.

His pedagogy emphasizes active, inclusive, and student-centred learning, incorporating digital tools and interactive methods to foster clinical competence. He has taught at undergraduate and post graduate levels in disciplines within the life sciences at previous institutions. At Teesside, he currently leads modules across MOptom, and BSc (Hons) Optometry programmes, serves as course lead and admissions tutor, prepares students for clinical competence through OSCEs and practical assessments and supervises research project.

With clinical experience in the UK and abroad, Dr Ukachukwu has practiced in hospital, high-street, and private settings, specializing in ocular health management and collaborative care with a strong focus on community optometry and service improvement.

His research spans across several disciplines such as microbiology, public health, and pharmaceutical sciences with a dedicated emphasis on eye health and diseases. His doctoral work at Kingston University, London focused on the development of novel fatty acid-based therapeutic agents and ophthalmic formulations for bacterial eye infections, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. His innovative use of ex vivo bovine corneal models and ocular toxicity assays has led to impactful publications and conference presentations. He has been awarded competitive grants from the Microbiology Society and international conference organisers, and his work has resulted in formulations with potential for commercialisation, reflecting a strong translational emphasis in his research.

Research Interests

• Ocular infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance
• Ophthalmic drug delivery, therapeutic innovation, and natural product pharmacology
• Translational microbiology and corneal infection models
• Contact lens-associated infections and therapeutic lens care.
• Public health optometry, community optometry models and service accessibility

Publications

• Paper: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Raid Alany, Lori A. S. Snyder. A novel ex vivo bovine corneal infection and clearance model for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. November 2023 Preprint Biorxiv: doi: htttps://doi.org/10.1101/2023.07.05.547903.
• Published Abstract: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Raid Alany, Lori A. S. Snyder. Evaluation of a monoglyceride for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. Access Microbiology. 2022, May; 4(5). DOI:10.1099/acmi.ac2021.po0081.
• Paper: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Rafiq Afshan, Lori A. S. Snyder. Challenges in treating ophthalmia neonatorum. Expert Review of Ophthalmology, 2021, 16 (1), pp. 19-32. ISSN (print) 1746-9899. https://doi.org/10.1080/17469899.2021.1829475.
• Paper: Anonye, Blessing O., Nweke, Valentine, Furner-Pardoe, Jessica, Gabrilska, Rebecca, Rafiq, Afshan, Ukachukwu, Faith, Brue, Julie, Lee, Christina, Unnikrishnan, Meera, Rumbaugh, Kendra, Snyder, Lori A.S. and Harrison, Freya (2020). The safety profile of Bald's eye salve for the treatment of bacterial infections. Scientific Reports, 10, p. 17513. ISSN (online) 2045-2322.
• Published abstract: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Raid Alany, Lori A. S. Snyder. Fatty acids as novel treatment options for Pseudomonad and Staphylococcal infection. Access Microbiology. 2020 Jul 1;2(7A):449. https://doi.org/10.1099/acmi.ac2020.po0359.
• Published abstract: Faith Uche Ukachukwu. Trachoma elimination in Yobe state, Nigeria: Will it be a “SAFE” way or a dead end in 2020? Abstract In: Int J Ophthalmic Pathol. 2017; 6 (5), 31. Doi: 10.4172/2324-8599-C1-005.
• Paper: Balogun M.M, Ukachukwu F.U. Distribution of refractive error in children in an urban population in Nigeria. Niger Med Pract. 2013; 64 (3-4), 34-40.

Conference papers/Accepted abstracts

• Poster: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Aiste Dijokaite, Raid Alany, Myron Christodoulides, Lori A. S. Snyder. Anti-gonococcal and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of novel saturated fatty acids. International Pathogenic Neisseria conference (IPNC 2023), Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A, September 2023.
• Poster: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Raid Alany, Aiste Dijokaite, Myron Christodoulides, Lori A. S. Snyder. The antibacterial activity and safety of novel natural compounds as treatment options for bacterial infections. Microbiology Society Annual Conference. Belfast, UK. April 2022.
• Poster: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Raid Alany, Aiste Dijokaite, Myron Christodoulides, Lori A. S. Snyder. Novel alternative antimicrobials as potential broad spectrum antibacterial agents to combat Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial infections. Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Conference, February 2022. (Online).
• Oral and Poster: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Raid Alany, Lori A. S. Snyder. In vitro ‘meets' in vivo: A novel ex vivo bovine corneal infection model for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. School of Engineering and Computing (SEC) Postgraduate research conference, Kingston University, London, UK. June 2021.
• Poster: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Raid Alany, Lori A. S. Snyder (2021). Evaluation of a monoglyceride for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In: Microbiology Society Annual Conference Online 2021; 26 -30 April 2021, Held online.
• Poster: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Raid Alany, Lori A. S. Snyder. Investigating fatty acid compounds towards developing antimicrobial therapies against infections of staphylococcal origin. In: Society for Applied Microbiology Early Career Scientist Research Symposium; 22 – 26 March 2021, held online.
• Poster: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Raid Alany, Lori A. S. Snyder. Novel antimicrobial fatty acids as potential new lines of treatment against antibiotic resistant gonococcal infections. In: Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Conference 2021; 02 – 03 February 2021, held online.
• Oral: Faith Uche Ukachukwu (Speaker), Rafiq Afshan, Calder Alan, Menkiti Jude, Horsburgh Emily, Jorge Erik, Sookdawar Chetna, Anwar Sadar, Siwoku Opeoluwa, Sriskantharajah Vajiharan and Lori A.S. Snyder (2020). Exploring novel antimicrobials to treat resistant gonococcal infections. In: Neisseria gonorrhoeae Research Society (NgoRS) 2020 virtual Conference; 21 – 24 October 2020, held online.
• Poster: Lori A. S. Snyder, Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Calder Alan, Rafiq Afshan, Horsburgh Emily, Jorge Erik, Sookdawar Chetna, Anwar Sadaf, Siwoku Opeoluwa, Sriskantharajah Vajiharan (2020). Antimicrobial fatty acids to combat antibiotic resistant ‘Neisseria gonorrhoeae' infections. In: British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Conference 2020; cancelled due to COVID-19.
• Poster: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Raid Alany, Lori A. S. Snyder. Fatty acid as novel treatment options for Pseudomonad and Staphylococcal infection. In: Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2020; cancelled due to COVID.
• Oral presentation: Faith Uche Ukachukwu (Speaker), Rafiq, Afshan and Lori A. S. Snyder. Antimicrobial activity of natural oils against Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In: Antimicrobial Drug Discovery from Traditional and Historical Medicine. Microbiology Society Focused Meeting; 29 October 2019, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK.
• Poster: Faith Uche Ukachukwu, Raid Alany, Lori A. S. Snyder. Investigating novel treatment for bacterial eye infection using bovine corneal tissue model. School of Engineering and Computing (SEC) Postgraduate research conference, Kingston University, London, UK. April 2019. (Third Prize winner for poster presentation).
• Oral and Poster presentations: Faith Uche Ukachukwu. Trachoma elimination in Yobe state Nigeria: Will it be a “SAFE” end or a dead end in 2020? 2nd International Conference and Expo on Optometry and vision science; 11-12 September 2017, Paris, France.
• Oral presentation: Faith Uche Ukachukwu. Low vision management: maximizing functional vision in albinos. Ophthalmology Society of Nigeria Continuing Medical Education; 21st May 2014, Lagos, Nigeria.

Grant awards and Scholarships

• 2023 International Pathogenic Neisseria Conference Travel grant.
• 2023 Conference registration fees grant by Applied Microbiology International.
• 2023 Graduate Research School Kingston University activity fund for conference attendance.
• 2022 Society Conference grant award by Microbiology Society.
• 2021 Research visit grant award by Microbiology Society, Grant ID: GA002604
• 2019 3rd Prize Award for Poster presentation, Kingston University.
• 2018 Bursary award, Kingston University.
• 2017 Chester Difference Excellence Award, University of Chester.
• 2016 Westminster Scholarship Award.
• 2014 Plaque of Appreciation, Nigerian Optometric Association.
• 2010 Best Graduating Student Award, Imo state University (IMSU).
• 2010 Best Student in Medical Microbiology, Imo state University.
• 2010 Best Student in Practice Management, Ethics and Jurisprudence, IMSU

Supervision Opportunities

Inquiries are welcomed from prospective self-funded PhD students with an interest in innovative approaches to eye health, microbiology, or optometry. Prospective research students will benefit from a supportive and dynamic research environment, with extensive academic and clinical networks across the UK and beyond.