About

Prof. Catherine Ufumwen Ukponmwan is a professor of Ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria, and an Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. She obtained her MBBS degree from the University of Benin in 1981 and had her postgraduate training at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, where she earned the Fellowship of the National Postgraduate Medical College (FMCOph) in November 1988. She is also a Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons (FWACS) and the International College of Surgeons (FICS). In 2016, she received a certificate in Small Incision Cataract Surgery (SICS) from Mahatme Eye Bank and Eye Hospital, Nagpur, India. She obtained an MD from the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria in 2020 and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Prof. Ukponmwan joined the University of Benin in 1984 as a Graduate Assistant and rose through the ranks to become a Professor in 2011. She has been a consultant Ophthalmologist at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital since 1989. Her research interests include the anterior segment, glaucoma, and both medical and surgical ophthalmology. She has authored over 60 publications in local, national, and international peer-reviewed journals and serves as a reviewer for many national and international peer-reviewed journals.

She is actively involved in the training of medical and dental students, resident doctors, and post-basic ophthalmic nurses. Prof. Ukponmwan has supervised the research projects (dissertations) of many postgraduate resident doctors for the Part 2 fellowship examination of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Surgeons. She was the coordinator of the Basic Science Course in Ophthalmology organized by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Surgeons. Additionally, she is an examiner and resource person at the Faculty of Ophthalmology of both the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African College of Surgeons and serves as an assessor to professorial positions in Nigerian universities.

Prof. Ukponmwan has been a member of accreditation teams of the Faculty of Ophthalmology of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. She served as the Treasurer and member of the Faculty Board of Ophthalmology of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria from 2008 to 2014. She was awarded a scholarship by the Benin Area Joint Board for her outstanding performance in secondary school as the best in the West African School Certificate examination. She also received a Federal Government Scholarship for her undergraduate training and a British Council training award for her postgraduate training at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Prof. Ukponmwan was recognized as the best lecturer in the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Benin, consecutively in the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 academic sessions.

She has attended many national and international conferences. Prof. Ukponmwan was the Head of the Department of Ophthalmology from July 2003 to June 2005 and July 2008 to June 2012. She has also served as Acting Dean of the School of Medicine, University of Benin. She was the chairman of the School of Medicine Research and Publication Committee, and chaired the committee for the induction of new medical and dental graduates from February 2015 to September 2017. She is a member of the Senate of the University of Benin and the Senate representative on the board of the Institute of Continuing Education. She was the Senate representative on the board of the Institute of Education.

Prof. Ukponmwan has served on various committees, including as the School of Medicine representative on the University Research and Publications Committee (URPC), the Student Work Study Programme, and the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. She has also served at various times as Chairman of many boards at the University of Benin, including the Management Board of the Centre for Gender Studies and the Auditorium Management Board. She is presently the Chairman of the Public Private Partnership Committee, the Centre for Distance Learning Management Board, and the Board of SERVICOM at the University of Benin.