Department of Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology

Colleges and Faculties > Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences (OACHS) > Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences (FBCS) > Department of Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology

The Department of Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology provides training in the structure and disease-related changes of human tissues and organs. It offers students a solid foundation in morbid anatomy, histopathology, and related disciplines, combining lectures, practical sessions, and research opportunities. The department supports both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed for careers in medicine, biomedical sciences, and research. With modern laboratories, teaching facilities, and a medical museum, the department fosters a learning environment that integrates theory, practice, and scientific investigation.

Vision

  1. To become a regional and national leading department in the teaching of MBBS Anatomical Pathology
  2. To become one of the leading departments that provide training programmes that are directed towards the advancement of the knowledge of cancer and the development of quality and contemporary research in cancer sciences.
  3. To advance and disseminate theoretical and practical knowledge of cancer through teaching and research in anatomical and molecular pathology, and to provide high-quality educational experiences for graduate students that will transform them to become leaders in their careers/professional practices. 

Our History

The Department of Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology was a division of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Histopathology until the year 2002 when it became a separate department. It is currently staffed by four full-time lecturers: one professor, one associate professor, two Lecturer I, a departmental secretary, two scientists, and one clerical/administrative staff member.

The department is able to cope with the current student population of 70. Instructions are given in Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology, with some introduction to Forensic Pathology and Molecular Pathology. The modes of instruction consist of lectures, histopathology practical sessions, autopsy clerkship, practicals and demonstrations, seminars and tutorials.

The department currently has a medical museum with pots of about 50 specimens collected and mounted. Specimens were sourced from organs removed during surgical operations and autopsies. The department also services the General and Cellular Pathology course for BSc Nursing Science programme established in 2021. The department has also commenced the MSc, MPhil and PhD programmes in Cancer Sciences (CAS).

Currently, the university, through our department, has established collaboration on breast cancer biology research and a split-site PhD programme in molecular pathology with the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.

Leadership‎

The Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology Department, under the leadership of Dr Ebili, has recently expanded its academic programmes to include General and Cellular Pathology for Nursing Sciences, and has trained 5 sets of BSc Nursing Science students in Anatomical Pathology. Furthermore, the Department has successfully floated the postgraduate programme in Cancer Sciences in 2025, and admissions have been taken into the programme. In addition, preparations are underway to establish short certificate courses in Cancer Genomic Data Analysis, in line with the university’s Entrepreneurship programme recommendations.

In an effort to improve the research output from the Department, Dr Ebili recently established the Cancer Genomics Research Group, a collaboration of biomedical researchers that interrogate cancer “omics” data for biological and therapeutic clues. The objective of the collaboration is to publish 30 peer-reviewed articles within 3-6 years, using bioinformatics methodologies on the genomic, transcriptomic, methylomic and proteomic data from cancer genomic databases. The group has so far published four peer-reviewed research articles since its inception.

Research Areas

The focus of research for the department includes molecular biology and the pathology of cancers, generally. Specifically, the department can boast of published work in the following focused areas:

  1. Prognostic molecular biomarker identification in prostate cancer
  2. Molecular alterations in gastric cancer from Nigerian patients
  3. Molecular classification of colorectal cancer from
  4. Nigerian patients can reveal subtypes of prognostic and predictive relevance
  5. Biological characterisation of breast cancer in Nigerian women compared to British black women
  6. Molecular pathology of gastric cancer from Nigerian patients

Facilities for Student Training

The department is adequately equipped with facilities to enable teaching and research in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

  1. Two 80-seater lecture rooms within the Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology Department facility, and a shared 150-seater lecture room in the Faculties of Basic Medical/Clinical Sciences
  2. A 90-seater seminar room for a postgraduate seminar presentation
  3. A teaching laboratory for undergraduate (MBBS and BSc Nursing Sciences) practical sessions
  4. A museum that houses pathology pots for demonstrations to medical students
  5. A Central Research Laboratory within the departmental premises, equipped with a real-time PCR suite, cell culture facility, tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry bench, cold storage, etc., to support the postgraduate programme in Cancer Sciences. 

Departmental Organogram

HENRY OKUCHUKWU EBILI

(MBBS, MSc, PhD, FUICC, FMCPath)
Email: ebili.henry@oouagoiwoye.edu.ng
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2135-1796
Phone: +2348069629739
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=wEE-Q2kAAAAJ&view_op=list_works; citations: 316, h-index =9, i10-index=8
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/henry-ebili-2868a621
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Henry-Ebili

Professional Summary

Dr Henry O. Ebili is an Associate Professor and the Acting Head of Department of Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology. Dr Ebili is a highly motivated Pathologist with expertise in Anatomical Pathology and Molecular/Genetic Pathology and Genomics. He has more than fifteen years’ cumulative experience in Academic and Clinical Anatomical Pathology.

Dr Ebili’s research focuses on the molecular characterization of breast, colorectal, prostate and gastric ‎cancers in ‎Nigerian patients, including identification of biomarkers of prognostic and ‎therapeutic relevance in clinical ‎management. His postgraduate training in molecular pathology and technical expertise acquired ‎therefrom has positioned him to undertake research in cancers. Dr Ebili undertook his ‎molecular ‎diagnostics/ molecular pathology training ‎at the Division of Cancer ‎and Stem Cell, University ‎of ‎Nottingham in the United Kingdom at ‎both the Master’s and PhD ‎levels‎. His expertise ‎includes PCR ‎and real time PCR with advance skills in High Resolution ‎Melting ‎Analysis, ‎Amplification Refractory ‎Mutation System PCR, and the design and ‎development of ‎molecular ‎diagnostics assays for clinical ‎applications. His expertise also covers ‎Genomics and ‎Bioinformatics analyses and ‎immunohistochemistry.

A good team player, Dr Ebili has had successful collaborations and/or participations in ‎research projects with research groups in Nigeria, the United States and the United Kingdom‎‎, including ‎the Breast Cancer Research Group and the Molecular Pathology Group, both at the University of ‎Nottingham. Some of these collaborations have been enabled by research grants and awards he has ‎received from international bodies such as the Union for International Cancer Control and the ‎Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and have resulted in many peer-reviewed publications‎. Dr Ebili’s current work focuses on interrogating cancer “omics” data for biological and therapeutic clues.

Dr Ebili has served as the Acting Head of Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology Department since 2022, and during this period he has overseen academic administration, staff growth and development, MBBS and Nursing Science course curriculum development and administration. Since 2022 has overseen the training of 4 batches of MBBS students in Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology. He has also overseen the training 5 batches of BSc Nursing Sciences students in the NSc 206 (Cellular and General Pathology) over the same period. Furthermore, Dr Ebili recently oversaw the commencement of a new programme, MSc/MPhil/PhD in Cancer Sciences, in the Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology Department.
Dr Ebili is a highly organized, focused and goal-oriented individual who is open to exploring new possibilities. Also, a personable fellow with good working and social relationships.

Recent Publications

  1. ‎Ilyas M., Hassall J.C., Ebili H.O. (2019). Detection of nucleic acid sequences. ‎WO/2019/145734; PCT/GB2019/050221. (Patent: United Kingdom) ‎
  2. Adeleke, K.R., Iyawe, V.O., Ebili, H.O., Agboola, A.O.J. (2019). Clinicopathologic and ‎Biological Significance of Altered Phosphatidylinositol 3- Kinase (PI3KCA) Function in ‎Breast Cancer of Nigerian Women. In: Abstracts from USCAP 2019: Breast Pathology ‎‎(100-298). Modern Pathology; 32 (S2):1-2 (Abstract code 100). ‎https://doi.org/10.1038/s41379-019-0222-z (United States)‎
  3. Nwokoro, C. C., Emmanuel, E. A., Salami, B. A., Ayoade, A. B., Oyelekan, A. A., Amosu, L. ‎O., Ogundele, O. I., & Ebili, O. H. (2019). Congenital hydronephrosis in a 2-year-old boy. ‎Indian Journal of Child Health, 6(10), 575–577. ‎https://doi.org/10.32677/IJCH.2019.v06.i10.016 (India)‎
  4. Ebili, H. O., Agboola, A. O., & Rakha, E. (2021). MSI-WES: a simple approach for ‎microsatellite instability testing using whole exome sequencing. Future Oncology (London, ‎England), 17(27), 3595–3606. https://doi.org/10.2217/fon-2021-0132. (United ‎Kingdom)‎
  5. Wahab N., Miligy I.M., Dodd K., Sahota H., Toss M., Lu W., Jahanifar M., Bilal M., Graham ‎S., Park Y., Hadjigeorghiou G., Bhalerao A., Lashen A.G., Ibrahim A.Y., Katayama A., ‎Ebili H.O., Parkin M., Sorell T., Raza S.E.A., Hero E., Eldaly H., Tsang Y.W., ‎Gopalakrishnan K., Snead D., Rakha E., Rajpoot N., Minhas F. (2022). Semantic annotation ‎for computational pathology: multidisciplinary experience and best practice ‎recommendations. The Journal of Pathology: Clinical Research, 8(2). ‎https://doi.org/10.1002/cjp2.256. (United ‎Kingdom)‎
  6. ‎Ogunsowo K., Akadri A., Odelola O., Adefuye P., Shorunmu T., Ebili H. (2022). Prevalence ‎and predictors of squamous intraepithelial lesions in human immunodeficiency virus ‎positive women in Sagamu, southwest Nigeria. Journal of Public Health in Africa; 13 (3), ‎‎1858. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2022.1858. (South Africa).‎
  7. ‎Alfahed, A., Ebili, H.O., Waggiallah H.A. (2023). Chromosome-specific segment size ‎alterations are determinants of prognosis in prostate cancer. Saudi Journal of Biological ‎Sciences; 30(5): 103629. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2023.103629. King Saud University, Saudi ‎Arabia.‎
  8. ‎Alfahed, A., Ebili‎, H.O., Almoammar N.E., Alasiri G., AlKhamees O.A., ‎Aldali J.A., Al ‎Othaim A., Hakami Z.H., Abdulwahed A.M., and Waggiallah H.A. (2023)‎. Prognostic ‎values of gene copy number alterations in prostate ‎‎cancer. Genes; 14(5), 956; ‎https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14050956 (Switzerland)‎
  9. Ajani, M. A., Lawan, A., Oke, T., Khramtsova, G., Nwanji, I., Salami, A., Awolude, O., Ebili, ‎H., Onwukamuche, M. E., Sveen, E., Yoshimatsu, T., & Olopade, O. I. (2023). ‎Clinicopathological pattern of oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human ‎epidermal growth factor receptor-2 over-expression of epithelial ovarian carcinomas in ‎Nigeria. African Health Sciences; 23(3), 236–244. https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v23i3.29 . ‎Makerere University, Uganda.‎
  10. Ebili, H.O., Omenai, S.A., Ezenkwa, U.S., Ale, A.O., Akintola, P.A., Adetona, A.E., ‎Akunwata, C.U., Mashor, M.I., Nwanji, I.D., Iyapo, O., Ezekekwu, C.A., Akulue, J.C., ‎Chidozie, N. (2024). Molecular and Clinicopathological Correlates of Wild Type KRAS ‎Expression in Prostate Cancer. Annals of Urologic Oncology, 7: 13. ‎https://doi.org/10.32948/auo.2024.07.29. Asian Medical Press, United Kingdom.‎
  11. Ezenkwa, U.S., Omenai, S.A., Iyapo, O., Ezekekwu C.A., Adetona, A.E., Akunwata, C.U., ‎Ale A.O., Ebili, H.O. (2024) Low prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase-2 gene expression ‎in colorectal carcinomas may predict poorer survival. ecancer; 18: 1814. DOI: ‎‎10.3332/ecancer.2024.1814. ‎(United ‎Kingdom)‎
  12. Omenai, S.A., Ebili, H.O., Ezenkwa U.S., Ale A.O., Akintola P.A., Adetona A.E., Akunwata ‎C.U., Mashor M.I., Nwanji I.D., Iyapo O., Ezekekwu, C.A., Akulue, J.C., Chidozie, N., ‎Nwadiokwu I.J. (2025). Clinicopathological Correlates of Vitamin D Receptor Expression ‎in Prostate Cancer: ‎Results of Genomic Analysis. Porto Biomedical Journal, 00(00), e280. ‎http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000280. Wolter Kluwer Health Inc., United ‎States. ‎
  13. Ebili, H.O., Omenai S., Ezenkwa U.S. (2025). Insights into the molecular and clinical ‎significances of ‎NEIL2 expression in colorectal cancer. Nigerian Journal of ‎Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 17 (1): 1-10. ‎https://njgeh.org/index.php/njgeh/article/view/78.‎ (Nigeria).‎

Prof. A. O. J. Agboola

Professor of Cancer Pathology
Google Scholar citations: 735, h-index=15; i10-index=18
ORCID ID 0000-0001-8671-3535; https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OcitCtwAAAAJ&hl=en, johnson.agboola@oouagoiwoye.edu.ng

Academic Staff ‎

1. Dr Patrick A. Akintola, Lecturer I, ResearchGate citations:31, Research Interest Score=17.8, h-index=2; https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pa-Akintola, patrick.akintola@oouagoiwoye.edu.ng
2. Dr Adesoji E. Adetona, Lecturer I, ResearchGate citations:5, Research Interest Score=8.9, h-index=2; https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Adesoji-Adetona-2, adesoji.adetona@oouagoiwoye.edu.ng.

Technological / Technical Staff

1. Mrs. OWOYELE, ‎Opeyemi, Medical Laboratory Scientist; +234 703 365 4761
2. Miss ADEDEJI Ifeoluwa ‎Adesola, Medical Laboratory Scientist; +234 814 309 0588 ‎

Clerical Staff

1. Mrs. ODUBAYO ‎Folake O., Secretarial Assistant I; folake.odubayo@oouagoiwoye.edu.ng, +234 915 236 2484‎

Contact Information

Department Courses

Undergraduate
  1. MBChB Medicine and Surgery
  2. BSc Nursing
Postgraduate
  1. MSC/MPhil/PhD Cancer Sciences

Upcoming event

16

Dec

2025

Matriculation for Fresh Students (2025/2026 Session)

  • 10:00am4:00pm
All Events

Colleges and Faculties