Prince Abubakar Audu University | Nigeria
Dr. Ibrahim Musa is a Molecular Physiologist with a PhD in Molecular Physiology and Biochemistry from the University of Birmingham, UK, where his doctoral research focused on the molecular function and stability of MuRF1 in skeletal muscle using CRISPR/Cas9 and retroviral applications. He has over four years of research experience in ubiquitin biology, target validation, cellular biology, and molecular mechanisms, with expertise in CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing and primary human skeletal muscle culture. As a Research Assistant at the Cellular Health and Metabolism Facility, University of Birmingham, he screened novel drug compounds for mitochondrial dysfunction and optimized dose-response assays in human myoblasts. Dr. Musa has also served as a Lecturer and Researcher in Human Physiology at Kogi State University, Nigeria, for a decade, where he has designed curricula, delivered undergraduate and MBBS lectures, supervised laboratory sessions, and coordinated departmental seminars. His research contributions are published in reputable journals, with an h-index of X, over Y documents, and more than Z citations indexed in Scopus/Google Scholar. He has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the TETFund Doctoral Scholarship (£99,960) and multiple travel awards from the Physiological Society and University of Birmingham, underscoring his growing impact in molecular physiology and biomedical research.
Featured Publications:
Gant, H., Ghimire, N., Min, K., Musa, I., Ashraf, M., & Lawan, A. (2024). Impact of the quadriceps angle on health and injury risk in female athletes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(12), 1547.
Musa, I., et al. (2025). MuRF1 partners with TRIM72 E3 ligases to impair insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle. FASEB Journal. (Accepted; preprint available at bioRxiv).
Nishimura, Y., Chunthorng-Orn, J., Lord, S., Musa, I., Dawson, P., Holm, L., & Lai, Y. C. (2022). Ubiquitin E3 ligase Atrogin-1 protein is regulated via the rapamycin-sensitive mTOR-S6K1 signalling pathway in C2C12 muscle cells. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology, 323(1), C215–C225.
Nishimura, Y., Musa, I., Holm, L., & Lai, Y. C. (2021). Recent advances in measuring and understanding the regulation of exercise-mediated protein degradation in skeletal muscle. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology, 321(2), C276–C287.
Seabright, A. P., Fine, N. H. F., Barlow, J. P., Lord, S. O., Musa, I., Gray, A., Bryant, J., Banzhaf, M., Lavery, G. G., Hardie, D. G., Hodson, D. J., Philp, A., & Lai, Y. C. (2020). AMPK activation induces mitophagy and promotes mitochondrial fission while activating TBK1 in a PINK1-Parkin independent manner. The FASEB Journal, 34(11), 14416–14433.