Dr. Ahmed El-Imam is a senior lecturer in microbiology at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. As a food and industrial microbiology specialist, her research has focused on food preservation and understanding the microorganisms associated with the spoilage of various traditional foods. Her research is increasingly transitioning into the bioconversion of plant biomass materials via the fermentative production of biofuels and biochemicals.

Ahmed El-Imam leads a modest research group where the statistical optimization of fermentative processes is central. She and her collaborators worldwide have utilized several microorganisms to produce high-value platform chemicals and biofuels from novel biomass materials. As an instructor, she employs multiple instructive strategies to improve understanding and stimulate a lifelong interest in microbiology students. 

Ahmed El-Imam earned both of her microbiology degrees from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. She earned her Ph.D. in life sciences from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, as a beneficiary of the federal government of Nigeria’s Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). She is currently on a 9-month fellowship as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.  

Outside of work, Amina is a wife, mother and author of 2 books.