Lukman Enegi Ismaila, PhD

Summary

Research Faculty and Computational Scientist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, working at the intersection of machine learning, computational neuroimaging, and healthcare AI. I design graph-based and multilayer-network models that detect subtle brain-network changes from fMRI, lead LLM and RAG work in healthcare, and serve on the engineering leadership of the Google-funded AfriMed-QA benchmark. PhD in Signals, Images, Vision (University of Angers). I care about reproducibility, interpretability, and translational impact.

Experience

• Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineOct 2023 – Present

  F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute. Baltimore, MD.

  Research Faculty / Computational ScientistAug 2025 – Present
  • Build scalable computational imaging pipelines for fMRI using dynamic connectivity, graph theory, and multilayer network modeling to study brain plasticity.
  • Collaborate across disciplines to translate advanced imaging methods into clinically actionable insights.
  • Develop interpretable, AI-driven biomarkers from high-dimensional imaging data to support clinical research.
  • Investigate how advanced machine-learning models apply to neuroimaging for automated brain-network and disease-pattern discovery.
  Postdoctoral Researcher (promoted)Oct 2023 – Aug 2025
  • Led research on functional brain-network organization using fMRI analysis, graph theory, and machine learning to characterize neural plasticity and recovery.
  • Worked closely with clinicians, neuroscientists, and engineers to turn computational methods into clinically relevant neuroimaging insights.
  • Applied dynamic functional connectivity, multilayer network modeling, and statistical learning to extract interpretable biomarkers of brain reorganization from large fMRI datasets.
  • Best Postdoc Talk Award (2024), Kennedy Krieger Institute / Johns Hopkins Uni.
• Doctoral Researcher · LARIS Laboratory, University of AngersSept 2020 – Jul 2023

  School of Engineering (Polytech Angers), France.

  • Built deep-learning models that automatically recognize functional brain networks from rs-fMRI, working with CHU Angers neurosurgery on brain-tumor resection planning.
  • Used self-supervised and transfer-learning methods that hold up on noisy, small clinical datasets, and put the inference services to work in pre-operative planning.

Industry Experience

• Senior AI Engineer · BioRAMP LabJan 2024 – Present

  Remote, USA.

  • Architected an end-to-end multimodal voice-to-text clinical pipeline (Whisper/WhisperX, pyannote, Silero VAD, TTS, foundation-model APIs) behind a NAACL 2025 publication.
  • Built RAG workflows and benchmarked hallucination, faithfulness, and domain adaptation; fine-tuned open LLMs with LoRA/QLoRA.
  • Engineering Leadership Team on Google-funded AfriMed-QA: evaluation framework across 20+ models on 25,000 clinical questions.
• Lead ML Engineer / Project Manager · OmdenaNov 2020 – Present

  Global AI projects, remote.

  • Lead global AI teams of 8 to 15 engineers and ship end-to-end systems across NLP, computer vision, and predictive modeling, usually in 8 to 10 week cycles.
  • Built a multi-agent mental-health chatbot with LLMs, RAG (pgvector/FAISS), and safety guardrails, and designed the LangChain/LangGraph workflows behind it.
  • Shipped projects on credit scoring for food access, violence detection with computer vision, crop-disease detection, and energy access, leading some as ML lead and others as project manager.
• Software Engineer · ITC Systems Global LimitedAug 2020 – Jul 2023

  Remote.

  • Built and shipped Kotlin/Android apps for point-of-sale terminals that ran on field-agent devices across many sites.
  • Developed and released the Zainpay Android SDK, so third-party apps could plug into Zainpay payment and wallet services.
  • Kept the production apps stable with regular testing and remote fixes, which cut downtime for agents in the field.
  • Worked with the UI/UX team to turn customer requests into features people actually wanted to use.
• Instructor / ICT Consultant · International Consulting Expertise (ICE EEIG)Mar 2019 – Apr 2019
  • Designed the ICT capacity-building curriculum for the EU-funded SUFEGOR governance program.
  • Trained Ministry of Information staff and other agency teams, with the material pitched for people who were not coders.
• Software Programmer · Nile University of Nigeria (ICT Department)Sept 2015 – Jul 2016

  Abuja, Nigeria. Held jointly with an Assistant Lecturer role (see Teaching).

  • Designed, built, and maintained the university website and the internal web apps used across departments.
  • Fixed bugs and performance issues to keep the core systems running, and supported the staff who used them.
• Database Analyst / Consultant · Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)Nov 2015 – 2017
  • Maintained and tuned electoral databases so voter and result data stayed accurate and available when it mattered most.
  • Built on earlier election-software work (mobile result transmission and collation) that won a Vice Chancellor's Award of Excellence.
• ICT Technician Assistant (Internship) · Federal Ministry of HealthJul 2014 – Sept 2014

  Federal Secretariat, Abuja, Nigeria.

  • Completed Student Industrial Training in the ICT unit, supporting day-to-day systems and technical operations.

Education

• PhD, Signals, Images, Vision · University of Angers, France2020 – 2023

  Thesis: Machine Learning Applications in Neuroimaging for Brain-Tumor Resection. Funding: PTDF / Campus France Doctoral Scholarship. Advisors: Profs. David Rousseau, Pejman Rasti, and Jean-Michel Lemée.

• MSc, Computer Science · AUST, Abuja2016 – 2017

  Thesis: Facial Expression Recognition for Adaptive Learning Environment. Funding: AfDB Excellence Scholarship. Rank: Top 5%. Advisor: Prof. Mohamed Hamada (University of Aizu, Japan).

• MSc, Computer Science · Nile University of Nigeria2015 – 2017

  Thesis: Medical Expert System for Differential Disease Diagnosis. Rank: Top 2%. Advisor: Prof. Nwojo Agwu Nnanna.

• BSc, Computer Science · Nile University of Nigeria2011 – 2015

  Thesis: Mobile-Based Election Result Transmission and Collation System. Rank: First Class Honors, Top 2%. Advisor: Prof. Steve A. Adeshina.

Skills

Open-Source & Interactive Projects

Selected Publications

Full list on Google Scholar →

Honors & Awards

• Top 3 Finalist · NextGen Interchange (MIRASOL 2025), for AfriBiobank2025
• 40 Under 40 Alumni Impact Award · Honoris United Universities2025
• Best Postdoctoral Talk · Kennedy Krieger Institute / Johns Hopkins Uni.2024
• ISMRM Trainee Educational Stipend Awards · Singapore & Honolulu2024, 2025
• Datasphere Initiative Fellowship · AI & Data Governance2022
• Vice Chancellor's Award of Excellence · voting software, Nile University2018
• Program Facilitator Award · STEM Bootcamp, WAAW Foundation2016
• 2nd Best Graduating Student, Computer Science · Nile University2015
• 3rd Overall Best Graduating Student, Class of 2015 · Nile University2015

Scholarships

• PTDF / Campus France Doctoral Research Scholarship · Angers, France2020–23
• African Development Bank (AfDB) Excellence Scholarship · MSc, AUST2016–17

Professional Training & Certification

Teaching Experience

• Visiting Lecturer, Mathematics · ESAIP, Angevine School of EngineeringOct 2021 – Apr 2022

  Angers, France.

  • Taught engineering-cycle mathematics, including real analysis, calculus, and geometry.
  • Worked mostly with first-year engineering students, building up from limits and continuity through integration.
• Nile University of NigeriaSept 2015 – Aug 2020

  Abuja, Nigeria. Department of Computer Science.

  Lecturer, Computer Science | Alumni CoordinatorMay 2017 – Aug 2020
  • Taught undergraduate and PGD courses across algorithms, data structures, databases, computer architecture, formal models of computation, compiler construction, and mobile/web programming.
  • Built course materials and assessments that tied the theory to real software projects.
  • Supervised final-year and PGD capstone projects spanning web, mobile, IoT, and data-driven systems, and mentored students toward graduate study and tech roles.
  • Coordinated academic and student/alumni engagement activities, and collaborated with faculty on departmental research.
  Assistant Lecturer, Computer Science (promoted)Sept 2015 – Jul 2016
  • Started the academic track teaching introductory computer science, held jointly with a Software Programmer role in the ICT department.
  • Assisted with course delivery, labs, and student supervision before stepping up to a full Lecturer role.
• Programming Instructor for Kids & Adults · STEM Outreach & BootcampsJul 2014 – 2017

  Abuja, Nigeria. WAAW Foundation, Edu-Teens Science Development Foundation, and Codes2Schools.

  • Ran STEM bootcamps and basic programming camps for mobile and web app development, reaching kids and adults.
  • Designed the curriculum and taught MIT App Inventor and Scratch, and volunteered with Google CS First to get young students coding.
  • Taught Scratch in secondary schools across Abuja, and through Google CS4HS trained secondary-school teachers on MIT App Inventor.

Service & Memberships

Leadership & Service

• Founder · Haleyouth Foundation (2020–present)
• Project Leadership Team · AfriMed-QA (2024–present)
• Sponsor Chair · DS4Health Africa, Deep Learning Indaba (2025)
• Chair · Computer Vision 4 Health, SisonkeBiotik (2023–present)
• Researcher · Computer Vision for African Research Group / CV4Africa (2022–present)
• Chapter Lead · Omdena-Paris (2021–present)
• Web Developer · United Nations (UN) Volunteers (2021–present)
• Program Coordinator · IEEE Nigerian Section (2016–2020)

Professional Memberships

• Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) (2025–present)
• Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) (2025–present)
• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) (2024–present)
• International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) (2024–present)
• Observational Health Data Sciences & Informatics (OHDSI), African Chapter (2023–present)

Program Committees

• Research Proceedings Editor · ICECCO 2019 & 2017
• Editor / Webmaster · IEEE PES-IAS PowerAfrica & IEEE Smart Village Events (2019)
• Head, Accreditation Team · Nigerian Private University Games Association (NPUGA, 2017)
• Organizing Committee · IEEE ASYPC 2017