Eugenia Duodu

Dr. Eugenia Duodu Addy is a Canadian chemist and the CEO of Visions of Science Network for Learning (VoSNL).

Early life and education Duodu grew up in a Toronto Community Housing (TCH) development in Etobicoke. As a child, Duodu remembers creating her own science fairs at home, inspired by Bill Nye on television, and credits her mom for encouraging her aptitude in science and math, despite facing racism from teachers.

In high school she was encouraged by a teacher to attend a summer mentorship program with the University of Toronto geared towards encouraging Black and Indigenous students to pursue university degrees in STEM. The mentorship program included job shadowing scientists in labs and doctors in hospitals where she and other students were taught to read X-Rays and study MRIs. Undergraduate Work In 2010, Duodu completed a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and biology at the University of Toronto while studying on its Mississauga campus. Duodu then pursued a PhD in medicinal chemistry at the same campus, under the supervision of Patrick Gunning, where her thesis focused on developing phosphoprotein recognition agents for disease detection and treatment.

Graduate Work During her PhD, Duodu volunteered with VoSNL - a non-profit organization which provides science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) focused educational programs, through weekly local science clubs, for youth from low-income and marginalized communities. Duodu coordinated weekend science clubs for Grade 4-8 children living in TCH developments, and was a member of the VoSNL board of directors.

Career Duodu is currently the CEO of VoSNL. When she began volunteering with VoSNL in 2015, the organization was working with six communities and had an operations budget of $20,000. As of 2020, the operating budget was $1.2 million and the organization serves approximately 1,500 students from 29 communities.

Awards and recognition

In 2021, Duodu won the Life Sciences Ontario Community Service award She received the 2020 RBC Women of Influence Social Change Award Additionally, Duodu won the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards’ 2020 Science and Technology Award Duodu received the 2014-15 Queen Elizabeth II/Pfizer Canada Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology In 2012, Duodu was awarded the Harry Jerome CIBC Academics Award by the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA). In 2013, Duodu received an Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award, which is a $25,000 fellowship to recognize a graduate student who demonstrates academic and extra-curricular leadership. Duodu was also recognized as one of the 50 faces of the University of Toronto Mississauga - an initiative to celebrate individuals who have influenced or been influenced by the university.

Selected academic publications Duodu E., Noble J., Yusuf Y., Garay C. and Bean, C. "Understanding the delivery of a Canadian-based after-school STEM program: a case study." International Journal of STEM Education. 2017 Dec, 4:20. Duodu E, Kraskouskaya D, Gómez-Biagi RF, Gunning PT. "A tool for the selective sequestration of ATP and PPi to aid in-solution phosphopeptide detection assays." Analyst. 2016 Feb 7;141(3):820-2. Duodu E, Kraskouskaya D, Campbell J, Graca-Lima G, Gunning PT. "Selective detection of tyrosine-containing proximally phosphorylated motifs using an antenna-free Tb3+ luminescent sensor." Chemical Communications (Camb). 2015 Apr 18;51(30):6675-7. Kraskouskaya D, Duodu E, Arpin CC, Gunning PT. "Progress towards the development of SH2 domain inhibitors." Chemical Society Review. 2013 Apr 21;42(8):3337-70. Drewry JA, Duodu E, Mazouchi A, Spagnuolo P, Burger S, Gradinaru CC, Ayers P, Schimmer AD, Gunning PT. "Phosphopeptide selective coordination complexes as promising SRC homology 2 domain mimetics." Inorganic Chemistry. 2012 Aug 6;51(15):8284-91.