Ali Salifu

Assistant Professor

Profile

Ali Salifu is an Assistant Professor of Engineering. His research is motivated by the need to develop affordable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly technologies to improve our quality of life. These are geared toward solving global challenges in the areas of energy, the environment, and health to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ali鈥檚 current work focuses on biofuel production from non-edible feedstock, such as bamboo, that has the potential to diffuse the food vs. biofuel conflict and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (SDG 2: zero hunger, SDG 7: affordable and clean energy, and SDG 13: climate action). He is also developing low-cost ceramic water filters for household point-of-use water treatment in limited-resource communities (SDG 6: clean water and sanitation, SDG 11: sustainable cities and communities) and sustainable plant-based scaffolds for tissue engineering (SDG 3: good health and wellbeing).

Ali is interested in impacting communities through his work. Through the Math and Science for Sub-Saharan Africa (MS4SSA) program, he has trained high school teachers from over 16 African countries on project-based learning modules in water filtration and 3D printing. He has also collaborated with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) of The Gambia on fabricating and testing ceramic water filters for community-based water purification in rural areas.

Prior to Boston College, Ali was an Assistant Research Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he taught an undergraduate course in Solid Biomechanics Lab Techniques. In addition, he was a Resource Person for WPI initiatives at the interface of engineering and society, such as the COVID-19 Response in Africa and Pandemic Engineering programs. Ali obtained his Ph.D. in Materials Engineering and MS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Surrey, and BS in Biochemistry from the University of Ghana, Legon.

Selected Publications

  1. Onyekanne CE, Salifu AA, Obayemi JD, Ani CJ, Ashouri Choshali H, Nwazojie CC, Onwudiwe KC, Oparah JC, Ezenwafor TC, Ezeala CC, Odusanya OS, Rahbar N, Soboyejo WO. Laser-induced heating of polydimethylsiloxane-magnetite nanocomposites for hyperthermic inhibition of triple-negative breast cancer cell proliferation. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B, 2022; 1-17. doi:10.1002/jbm.b.35124聽
  2. Uzonwanne VO, Navabi A, Obayemi JD, Hu J, Salifu AA, Ghahremani S*, Ndahiro N*, Rahbar N, Soboyejo W. Triptorelin-functionalized PEG-coated biosynthesized gold nanoparticles: Effects of receptor-ligand interactions on adhesion to triple negative breast cancer cells. Biomaterials Advances, 2022; 136: 212801. (* = undergraduate students)
  3. Ekwe NB, Tyufekchiev MV, Salifu AA, Tompsett GA, LeClerc HO, Belden ER, Onche EO, Ates A, Schmidt-Rohr K, Yuan S, Zheng Z, Soboyejo WO, Timko MT. Mechanochemical pretreatment for waste-free conversion of bamboo to simple sugars: Utilization of available resources for developing economies. Advanced Sustainable Systems, 2022; 6(4): 2100286.
  4. Omoniyi OA, Salifu AA, Obayemi JD, Oyewole OK, Nigay P-M, Akin-Ojo O, Soboyejo WO. Hydroxyapatite and bone particle-doped ceramic water filters for the removal of fluoride and bacteria. Cogent Engineering, 2022; 9(1): 2006112.
  5. Jusu SM, Obayemi JD, Salifu AA, Nwazojie CC, Uzonwanne V, Odusanya OS, Soboyejo WO. Drug-encapsulated blend of PLGA-PEG microspheres: In vitro and in vivo study of the effects of localized/targeted drug delivery on the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. Scientific Reports, 2020; 10: 14188.
  6. Obayemi JD, Salifu AA, Eluu SC, Uzonwanne VO, Jusu SM, Nwazojie CC, Onyekanne CE, Ojelabi O, Payne L, Moore CM, King J, Soboyejo WO. LHRH-conjugated drugs as targeted therapeutic agents for the specific targeting and localized treatment of triple negative breast cancer. Scientific Reports, 2020; 10: 8212.
  7. Salifu AA, Obayemi JD, Uzonwanne VO, Soboyejo WO. Mechanical stimulation improves osteogenesis and the mechanical properties of osteoblast-laden RGD-functionalized polycaprolactone/hydroxyapatite scaffolds. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, 2020; 108(12): 2421-2434.
  8. Nigay P-M, Salifu AA, Obayemi JD, White C, Nzihou A, Soboyejo WO. Assessment of ceramic water filters for the removal of bacterial, chemical, and viral contaminants. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2020; 146 (7): 04020066.
  9. Obayemi JD, Jusu SM, Salifu AA, Ghahremani S*, Tadesse M*, Uzonwanne VO, Soboyejo WO. Degradable porous drug-loaded polymer scaffolds for localized cancer drug delivery and breast cell/tissue growth. Materials Science and Engineering C, 2020; 112: 110794. (* = undergraduate students)
  10. Nigay P-M, Salifu AA, Obayemi JD, White C, Nzihou A, Soboyejo WO. Ceramic water filters for the removal of bacterial, chemical, and viral contaminants. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2019; 145(10): 04019066.
  11. Salifu AA, Lekakou C, Labeed F. Electrospun oriented gelatin-hydroxyapatite fiber scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, 2017; 105(7): 1911-1926.
  12. Salifu AA, Lekakou C, Labeed F. Multilayer cellular stacks of gelatin-hydroxyapatite fiber scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, 2017; 105(3): 779-789.

Patents

  1. Soboyejo WO, Obayemi JD, Salifu AA, Uzonwanne VO. LHRH-paclitaxel conjugates and methods of use. US Patent App. 17/085,957 (Pending).
  2. Soboyejo WO, Obayemi JD, Salifu AA, Uzonwanne VO. LHRH-conjugated prodigiosin and uses thereof. US Patent App. 17/085,861 (Pending).