Ezikanyi is a Lecturer I in the Department of Applied Biology, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria.  She obtained her Ph.D. Degree from the University of Lagos, Nigeria with her Ph.D. research titled “Spatial distribution of atmospheric pollen and spores in Nigeria’’. She has carried out some research on airborne pollen and spores in some parts of South-East and Northern Nigeria. Dimphna has presented her research findings in several conferences and workshops in Nigeria. She has published over 17 manuscripts in peer review open access journals. She is currently the Coordinator of Work and Study Programme in her Department.  Dimphna is mentoring and supervising over 15 undergraduate and 1 postgraduate students.

Project- Impact of weather variability on aeroallergens and allergic diseases; implication on public health in Nigeria and adaptation

The research focuses on accessing the rate of weather variability in different climatic regions in Nigeria; coastal, equatorial and arid from 1983- 2019 and evaluates current impact of weather variables on aeroallergens and allergic diseases.  The research will also examine aeroallergens spatial distribution in coastal, equatorial and arid regions of Nigeria and data generated will be used to produce aeroallergen calendar which will reveal aeroallergens risk periods and guide asthmatic patients and other hypersensitive individuals on prophylactic approaches. The work will also reveal the allergenic potential of plants, which will inform climate policy in selection of non-allergenic plants in tree planting approach to mitigation, in view of projected increase in Co₂ level.  The work will develop allergen specific immunotherapy for the prevention of allergic diseases and evaluate the prophylactic and curative potentials of Mucuna pruriens seed and Euphorbia hirta in attenuating allergies. My pilot study on antiallergenic potential of Mucuna pruriens seeds, seem promising.