Nigerian McGill researcher receives Québec award for male fertility study
Chika Onochie, a Nigerian pharmacist and doctoral researcher at McGill University, has received a Québec research award worth up to CAD $100,000. His work focuses on molecular biomarkers that could supplement conventional semen analysis and provide more information about sperm function and male fertility.
Nigerian pharmacist and McGill University doctoral researcher Chika Onochie has received a Québec research award worth up to CAD $100,000 for his work on male fertility. The Fonds de recherche du Québec confirmed the award in an official letter cited by PUNCH Online. The funding is for Onochie’s doctoral research under the organisation’s Doctoral Research Scholarships programme, following a positive recommendation from a peer-review committee.
The letter said the award remained conditional on Québec’s National Assembly approving the required budgetary appropriations and on decisions by the FRQ board relating to its strategic planning. It also said the award could be changed without prior notice. Onochie’s research examines molecular indicators that may show whether sperm are functionally capable of fertilisation.
He says routine semen analysis, which assesses measures including sperm count and morphology, does not provide a complete picture in every case. His work is being conducted at McGill under the supervision of reproductive health researcher Professor Cristian O’Flaherty. O’Flaherty’s laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms involved in sperm production, function and activation, as well as possible diagnostic tools for male infertility.
Onochie said his interest in the subject developed during his training and clinical work in Nigeria. He observed what he described as an imbalance in infertility investigations, with women sometimes undergoing extensive assessments while men’s evaluations ended with basic semen analysis. He graduated from the University of Benin in 2021 with first-class Bachelor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees, then worked as a clinical pharmacist before moving to Canada.
He joined McGill in 2023 for a PhD in Pharmacology. Onochie said the award also recognised the scientific foundation he received in Nigeria. He hopes his research will eventually support better tools for understanding male infertility and encourage a more balanced approach to reproductive healthcare.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.