Professor Abubakar joined UCL in 2012, jointly appointed between the MRC Clinical Trials Unit and the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care as Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology. In 2016, he was appointed Director of the Institute for Global Health and also served as Vice-Dean International and External Engagement for the faculty. Prior to his appointment at UCL, he led Public Health England’s successful tuberculosis control strategy. He is an NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) Senior Investigator and was elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2020 in recognition of his research in infectious disease epidemiology and migration and health.
His work focuses on the epidemiology, prevention and treatment of infections including tuberculosis, hepatitides, HIV, and other common problems such as antimicrobial resistance and vaccine-preventable diseases, particularly among vulnerable populations. He has published widely, including over 300 research papers, policy reports, book chapters and textbooks. He has a strong commitment to equality and diversity, supporting excellence in education and research and tackling inequalities and social exclusion.
Professor Ibrahim Abubakar qualified in medicine from Ahmadu Bello University. He went on to specialise in public health, graduating with an MSc from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a DPH from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the University of East Anglia, where he later worked as a Professor in Health Protection at the Norwich Medical School. He is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health and the Royal College of Physicians.